The Pacers will likely have to contend with a crowd that will be rooting for the Spurs in both games. With Victor Wembanyama playing in his home country, most fans will be rooting for him and San Antonio. Indiana still feels good about their chances to win both games. They have been playing too well not to be filled with a ton of confidence.

It won't happen, and nobody knows when — or if — Popovich will be back on the Spurs' sideline. Popovich's absence is a glaring one in Paris this week for the pair of NBA matchups between the Pacers and Spurs on Thursday and Saturday; he's back home, recovering from a November stroke.

The main events start Thursday when Wembanyama and the Spurs take on the Indiana Pacers in the first of two games in Paris. The rematch is Saturday, both happening at Accor Arena, the same building where Wembanyama played in the knockout round of the Paris Olympics last summer when he and France wound up losing to the U.S. in the gold-medal game.

Victor Wembanyama will return to his home country when the Spurs battle the Pacers in France. Here's everything to know for the NBA Paris Games 2025.

Fans from at least 53 countries have bought tickets for the Spurs-Pacers games in Paris, a record for any league event.

The teams arrived in Paris on Monday, with practices and other events scheduled throughout the week and then the games toward the end. The Spurs were coming straight from the airport to a light workout in Nanterre — the place where Wembanyama started his pro career in the French league as a 15-year-old.

The Pacers and Spurs meet in Paris, France. It's time to continue our NBA Paris odds series with a Spurs-Pacers prediction and pick.