Coming off a wire-to-wire win over the Detroit Pistons, the Spurs faced a SEGABABA against the Los Angeles Clippers. Even though the Clippers were without several key players, they started hot by taking a seven-point lead into the second quarter. As the Clippers’ flames grew larger, the Spurs were ice cold. They were outscored 34-21 in the quarter and faced a 20-point deficit going into halftime. The Clippers countered almost every Spurs’ bucket in the third, building a 25-point lead. However, Julian
Champagnie ignited a comeback. Out of his 20 points, 17 of them came in the third quarter alone. The Spurs’ deficit was cut to 11 going into the fourth. Then, a switch was completely flipped.
The Spurs embarked on a 16-1 run and sent the Frost Bank Center into a frenzy. Thanks to key defensive stops by Victor Wembanyama and Carter Bryant, the momentum shifted to the silver and black. However, the Clippers kept pace down the stretch. After several clutch buckets, the Spurs were down by one with 1:08 remaining. Wembanyama took the lead back with a three-pointer, and the Clippers called a timeout. On the ensuing inbounds, Derrick Jones Jr. converted a tough finish through contact from Wembanyama for an and-one. After taking the lead with a free throw, the Spurs had a chance to respond. After breaking Kawhi Leonard’s ankles, De’Aaron Fox missed a stepback three. On the Clippers’ next possession, the Spurs’ defensive rotations were impeccable. After Leonard tried to isolate Wembanyama, Wembanyama called for a double team that resulted in a contested three. After the miss, Fox quickly threw the ball ahead for a wide-open Wembanyama on the other end to take a one-point lead with 16 seconds remaining.
The Clippers called their last timeout and set up their inbounds play. Nicolas Batum missed a wide-open Jones Jr. under the basket and instead passed it to Brook Lopez, who quickly passed it right back to him. There was one problem: Batum was still out of bounds. After the turnover, Devin Vassell was whistled for an offensive foul, but right before the foul happened, Mitch Johnson called a timeout. After Champagnie secured the ensuing inbounds pass, he went to the free-throw line and missed both free throws. However, Wembanyama tipped the ball towards the sideline for Champagnie to recover it. Stephon Castle was then fouled. After making his first free throw, he missed the second one but got the offensive rebound. He converted a layup to clinch the game for the Spurs. The Spurs beat the Clippers 116-112.
Victor Wembanyama dropped a double-double: 27 points (11-21 FG) and 10 rebounds to go along with four blocks, a steal, and an assist in just 22 minutes. After playing 39 minutes versus Detroit on Thursday, Wemby only played 22 minutes against the Clippers. In what was first thought as the coaching and medical staff limiting his minutes, Wemby himself said after the game that he was extremely fatigued. Nonetheless, Wemby still managed to put up impressive shooting numbers and locked down the paint. One of his blocks also came from blocking a Jones Jr. three-point attempt. After the game, he called the last two games “the best 30 hours of basketball in my life.”
How do you guard this? Wemby puts Lopez on an island and steps back for three for the Spurs’ first points of the game!
Give and go the full length of the court! Wemby throws it ahead to Castle, who pitches it right back to him for the breakway slam!
Too easy! Fox and Wemby execute the pick and roll for the alley-oop connection!
Off the glass! Wemby drives into the paint and finishes off the glass to give the Spurs the lead in the fourth!
CLUTCH WEMBY! Down by one, Wemby drains the go-ahead three with about a minute remaining! After the Clippers’ response, Wemby contests Leonard’s three and leaks out for the go-ahead jam with 16 seconds left!
Wemby battled through fatigue and was emotional after the victory. Some NBA fans say that it is just a regular-season game, but Spurs fans say that Wemby’s passion for winning speaks volumes!
Julian Champagnie dropped 20 points (5-8 3PT), nine rebounds, and an assist. When it looked like the Clippers were going to continue to capitalize on their dominance throughout the game, Julian took matters into his own hands. Playing through an injury suffered in the Pistons game, he kick-started a comeback by dropping 17 of his 20 in the third, including four of his five threes. He helped cut a chunk of the Spurs’ deficit from 25 to 11. Without him catching fire in the third, the comeback may not have happened.
CASH MONEY! Julian drains his fifth three of the game on the fastbreak!
De’Aaron Fox dropped 19 points, nine assists, two rebounds, and a steal. After struggling early, Fox helped turn the script around by draining clutch shots in the fourth. He broke three pairs of defenders’ ankles, and even capitalized on the space he created for points. It seems that it was just yesterday (November) that NBA fans were saying Fox was an extra mouth to feed on this team. Except now they are singing a different tune after they’ve seen his scoring punch, playmaking, and willingness to do what is best for the team to win.
ANKLE BREAKER! Fox crosses over Jones Jr. and breaks his ankles! He then has enough space to pull up from the midrange!
Here’s another angle!
MR. 4TH QUARTER! Fox provides the Spurs with a cushion as he drains the midrange jumper late in the fourth!
Here is Fox’s 4th quarter highlights! Keep an eye on the scoreboard and watch the Clippers’ lead evaporate!
Devin Vassell dropped 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Even though he struggled from the field, Dev made his shots when it mattered most. He provided great defense on the perimeter and drained a go-ahead three-pointer that caused an earthquake inside the Frost Bank Center. This three-pointer gave the Spurs the lead for the first time since the first quarter, and he drained it with no one around him!
Keldon Johnson dropped 10 points and six rebounds. KJ provided the usual spark plug energy off the bench and was complementary to others trying to erase the Clippers’ lead. He drained two of his three-point attempts and found himself flying towards the basket for a slam dunk!
Dylan Harper dropped eight points, four assists, two rebounds, a steal, and a block. Just like against the Pistons, Dyl provided some scoring when Fox or Castle were off the floor. The rookie also dishes out several dimes and made key defensive plays. His ultimate highlight of the game was running a give-and-go with Luke Kornet, who found him on a cut to the basket. He posterized Bennedict Mathurin for the and-one!
Here’s the reverse angle!
Stephon Castle dropped six points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Steph struggled from the field and was stripped of the ball multiple times. However, he continued to command the fastbreak and offense when needed. He found open shooters, open cutters, and was also relentless on the glass. Steph’s unselfishness allowed others to shine, including Bryant and Kornet.
New nickname just dropped. Steph and Luke run the pick and roll, and it results in a White Castle alley-oop!
SEQUENCE OF THE GAME! After Wemby blocks Kris Dunn off the backboard, Steph runs the fastbreak, lobs it up to a cutting Carter for the alley-oop!
Here’s another angle with more of the FBC crowd going ballistic!
How about another angle?!
GAME. SET. MATCH. After missing his second free throw, Steph grabs his own miss and puts it back up to give the Spurs a four-point lead and the victory!
All in all, this game was a season-defining win. This young team could have given up in the third, called it a wash, and looked towards Sunday. But no. Behind the backs of several contributors, some offense, some defense, they climbed the mountain and made it a ball game again. Not only that, but they were able to close out a team that has beaten them 10 of the last 11 times. If Spurs fans need some reassurance later in the season when things get tougher, look to this game as a reminder that this team is capable of overcoming any obstacle.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs take on the Houston Rockets this Sunday at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on NBC/Peacock.
