The San Antonio Spurs began the All-Star break leg with the second-best record in the NBA's Western Conference standings. As one of the few veterans in the team's rotation, De'Aaron Fox doesn't worry about the road to the playoffs for the Silver and Black.
"Every game matters a little more, especially when you're talking about seeding and how close West is. It's going to be fun."
"Every game matters a little more, especially when you're talking about seeding and how close West is. It's going to be fun"⬇️
-De'Aaron Fox w/#spurs Scheduled for the post-All-Star break portion of the year
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- Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) 18 February 2026
Following his second career All-Star Game appearance, Fox is one of the few Spurs to have previously qualified for the NBA Playoffs.
"It's definitely going to be an adjustment. And, even with that, they say they don't do it, but the games are operated a little differently, especially as you get closer to the playoffs," Fox said. "It's going to be an adjustment. I think our coaching staff has put us in a good position to not let that mess up the way we play because we want to be able to be a physical team and continue to play fast and continue to blow the whistle."
De'Aaron Fox likes the way the Spurs approach All-Star Weekend
The Spurs returned to play after the break on their longest actual winning streak of the season. Although they are credited with winning eight consecutive games in December, this includes a loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup Finals, which does not count towards the records of the participating teams. That blowout came to New York between three and five game wins.
Spurs won their last six matches ahead of the league's mid-February tradition.
Fox said, "It was a stretch that we felt was really important, to be able to go into the All-Star break with some momentum and we did a good job of that."
“We played eight games,” the ninth-year veteran said. "We talked about an eight-game season. Over the last eight games, we were 7-1, so going into the break with that type of momentum, it's the first time a lot of our guys are playing meaningful basketball after the break. So, all of these games mean a little more."
Former Fox and Sacramento Kings teammate Harrison Barnes, who won a championship with the Golden State Warriors and is now in his 14th NBA season, is the team's only rotation player with more than six seasons in the league.
Fox said, "There's got to be a mental part of the game because everyone is going through it physically. But if you can keep your mind in the game and stay focused over such a long season, it helps you more than just being physically prepared for it."
At 38–16 for the year, the Spurs are closer to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the standings than they are to the Denver Nuggets, who are in third place in the West. This is the stark reality of the opportunity facing the Foxes and Spurs.
“For us, I think people are ready and I think people are definitely excited for it.”
