For much of the night, it felt like the San Antonio Spurs were simply trying to survive. Shots weren’t falling. The defense was a step slow. And the Los Angeles Clippers looked firmly in control, building a lead that swelled to 25 points and silencing the home crowd.
But basketball games, especially ones involving this young Spurs team, have a way of turning quickly.
What started as a frustrating night slowly transformed into one of the wildest comebacks of the season. By the final buzzer, the Spurs
had erased that massive deficit and stunned the Clippers with a 116-112 victory Friday night, sending the crowd at the Frost Bank Center into a frenzy.
Early on, the Clippers dictated everything. Los Angeles carved up San Antonio’s defense with ease, knocking down open shots and controlling the pace. The Spurs struggled to find any offensive rhythm, missing open looks and committing turnovers that only fueled the Clippers’ transition attack. By the second quarter, the scoreboard told the story: a growing Clippers lead that eventually turned into a 20-point lead at halftime.
The Spurs looked flat. The Clippers looked comfortable as the third quarter began and Los Angeles’ lead swelled to 25 points.
And yet, the game was far from over.
“We weren’t at our best,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “You probably would have not ever booked that or stamped out for your perfect execution in that moment. And sometimes you just need the wherewithal and the fight and that thing in there to finish the job.”
The shift began quietly. San Antonio came out of the locker room with renewed energy, pushing the tempo and attacking the rim. The biggest jolt came from Julian Champagnie, who suddenly caught fire. Champagnie buried jumpers, attacked the basket and delivered a flurry of points that quickly chipped away at the deficit. Possession by possession, the Spurs clawed back.
“I always say this, and we always say it, and I don’t want the fans or anybody to think that we say this because we have to, because we don’t, but I genuinely think that we have the best fans in the NBA,” said Champagnie, who credited the fans with fueling their comeback.
The crowd, once restless, began to believe. By the end of the third quarter, the once massive Clippers lead had shrunk dramatically down to 11 points, and the building was alive again. With momentum fully on their side, the Spurs turned to their star. Victor Wembanyama controlled the game in the fourth quarter, impacting nearly every possession. He altered shots at the rim, grabbed key rebounds, and delivered timely scoring when San Antonio needed it most.
Then came the moment that sealed it.
With the game hanging in the balance, Wembanyama slipped away on the break, took a pass from De’Aaron Fox, and hammered home a dunk that pushed the Spurs ahead in the closing seconds. The arena erupted as San Antonio completed the improbable comeback.
“The best thing that I see is that nobody gives up on anything or anybody,” Wembanyama said. “Everybody gets everybody’s back. That’s why I have blind trust in these guys. I love them so much.”
The Clippers had one last chance, but the Spurs defense slammed the door shut. What began as a nightmare turned into a statement win. The Spurs didn’t just survive a rough start, they erased a 25-point deficit and outplayed a veteran Clippers team down the stretch. It was a performance fueled by resilience, grit, and the growing confidence of a young roster learning how to close games.
For the fans inside the arena, it was a night that felt impossible just a few hours earlier.
For the Spurs, it was proof that no deficit is too big — and no game is truly out of reach.
Game Notes
- Carter Bryant may have just secured himself a spot in the rotation in the NBA Playoffs. The box score may show just five points, but his impact on both ends showed how valuable he is. He had a huge block in the third quarter and an alley oop slam that fueled the fans and pumped up his team.
“I give him a lot of credit tonight. I don’t think we win this game without him,” Champagnie said of the rookie. - This might make me very unpopular, but can we stop booing Kawhi Leonard? It’s been eight years. Yes, I understand what he did hurt and it’s the reason for the rebuild. But he’s also a reason why the Spurs are in the position they are in now. If he did not leave, the Spurs don’t get Wemby and who knows what today would look like. Just food for thought.
- Mitch Johnson’s decision to go small in the third quarter was scary, but it worked. It shows when the Spurs are on fire, nothing is impossible. In that moment, speed, pace, and defense mattered. He forced Brook Lopez to beat them and the plan worked.
