Indiana's Rick Carlisle has coached more games against San Antonio's Gregg Popovich than anyone else. They've had 87 head-to-head matchups, including playoffs. Thursday was supposed to be No. 88. It won't happen,

The high octane glitz of NBA basketball will descend on Paris on Thursday night as the San Antonio Spurs - who feature the French star Victor Wembanyama - take on the Indiana Pacers in the first of two regular season games.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers NBA game to be played on January 23, 2025 on ESPN.

Check out what's being said about the NBA Paris Games 2025 ahead of a pair of Spurs-Pacers showdowns on Thursday and Saturday.

Wembanyama was born and raised in Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, a western Paris suburb, and has made it a focus this week to introduce his teammates to Parisian culture and the life he led before he became the NBA Rookie of the Year and likely next face of the league.

"We're going to throw everything we got at him just try do what we can go get a win," said Turner. "They are a tightknit group. They are guys who grind and hustle, so you know, we have to kind of match that intensity and supersede that.

Officially, Indiana will be the home team on the scoreboard when it plays San Antonio in Paris on Thursday. The Pacers know better.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are in Paris to play two NBA games against the Indiana Pacers, one on Thursday and one on Saturday. It is a homecoming for the 7-foot-4 Frenchman, who has not played a competitive game in his home country since France lost the gold medal game to the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Wembanyama is back in his home country as the Spurs take on the Pacers in the 2025 NBA Paris Games. Victor Wembanyama is back in Paris with the the Spurs for the NBA Paris Games 2025. • Get NBA League Pass TODAY NANTERRE,