Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers – Game #3
Devin Vassell and the Spurs take on the Clippers tonight (Photo via Twitter)
Coming off of an exhilarating win, the first victory of Victor Wembanyama’s NBA career, the San Antonio Spurs (1-1) will try to get another W on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. With Wembanyama leading the way with 21 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks, the Spurs defeated the Houston Rockets in overtime by a final count of 126-122 (see the Grades).
The Clippers also enter tonight’s contest with a record of 1-1. They began their season with a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers but then followed that up by losing to the Utah Jazz. Former Spurs star Kawhi Leonard is off to a strong start, averaging 24 points, seven rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals. The Clippers have been led in scoring by Paul George, who has 63 points over the first two games.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
The Spurs enter their second straight game without any injuries to report. Prior to the first game of the season, Zach Collins was iffy due to an illness. However, he was able to play in the opening loss versus the Dallas Mavericks.
Los Angeles Clippers Injury Update
Marcus Morris is out for tonight’s game due to an undisclosed personal reason. Terance Mann will also miss tonight’s affair with an ankle injury. Prior to getting injured, Mann was in line to be a starter for the Clippers this season.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
With no injuries to report, we can be confident that head coach Gregg Popovich will start Victor Wembanyama at power forward, Zach Collins at center, Jeremy Sochan at point guard, Devin Vassell at shooting guard and Keldon Johnson at small forward. The players off the bench will most likely be Tre Jones, Cedi Osman, Doug McDermott and Charles Bassey.
Los Angeles Clippers Starting Lineup
Last game, the Clippers started Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Robert Covington and Ivica Zubac. That will likely be their starting lineup once again.
Betting Guide: Spurs at Clippers
The Clippers are the big-time favorites in this evening’s matchup. L.A. is favored to win by 9.5 points over San Antonio. While the Clippers are at home and have much more established, veteran talent, the smart money is actually on the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama and company are playing with a ton of energy and they should be able to keep it close. The Spurs are also healthy, which helps their chances.