Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers – Game #44
Stephon Castle and the Spurs came up short (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs slipped late against the Los Angeles Clippers and lost by a final score of 128-116. The Spurs dropped to 20-24, while the Clippers improved their record to 27-20.
Neither team got much of an advantage in the first quarter. The Clippers got going a bit in the second quarter and took a five-point lead into halftime.
Los Angeles kept the momentum to start the third period. With seven minutes remaining in the quarter, the Clippers had a 16-point lead. But that’s when San Antonio put together a valiant comeback in front of their home fans. The Spurs came all the way back and even had the lead late in the third quarter.
The good guys hung in during a back and forth final stanza. With five minutes left in regulation, the Spurs had a one-point lead. Sadly, that’s when everything went wrong for San Antonio. The Clippers went on a 13-0 run to ice the game.
Overall, the Spurs played well at times but they failed to execute on either end when things really mattered.
Stats: Spurs vs. Clippers
Spurs vs. Clippers – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
This was an above average performance by Wembanyama. It wasn’t a memorable night at the office but he played at a high enough level for the Spurs to win. Offensively, he did well to establish himself on the inside early in the game. Wembanyama added outside shooting and passing as the game progressed. He kept reasonably good care of the ball and played with force. Defensively, he was attentive and was causing problems for the Clippers. All in all, the young Frenchman did his part.
Grade: B
Devin Vassell
Vassell shot poorly but this was quietly a step in the right direction. His shot-selection was better than usual and he made smarter decisions when making plays. Vassell’s defense wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t anything to write home about either.
Grade: B-
Chris Paul
The good: Paul tallied seven assists in 27 minutes. His playmaking was relatively limited against L.A. but he does deserve credit for not turning the ball over. The bad: Paul was more aggressive looking for his shot but his accuracy was off. Defensively, he was a liability from the opening tip.
Grade: C-
Harrison Barnes
There were a few stretches where Barnes was almost single-handedly keeping the Spurs in it. He ended up with an uber efficient 15 points along with a season-high seven assists. Barnes’ defense wasn’t great but the effort was always there.
Grade: B+
Stephon Castle
Castle is getting better and better at driving to the hoop against NBA defenders. His craft, patience and power are all notable traits when it comes to Castle getting to the hole. Hopefully the rookie’s shooting eventually comes along. His passing against the Clippers was also lacking. However, he did avoid racking up turnovers, which was especially important when he was running the show.
Grade: B
Jeremy Sochan
The good: Sochan’s perimeter defense was solid. He had some strong finishes at the rim and his passing was better than normal. The bad: Zero rebounds in 26 minutes? Yeah, no, that’s not going to get it done. The Clippers rarely guarded Sochan and he didn’t do a good job of making them pay.
Grade: C-
Keldon Johnson
Johnson had some moments when being physical in the lane. He also hit a timely three-pointer. The rest of his evening wasn’t especially noteworthy. His defense was meh, his playmaking was non-existent and he didn’t do much work on the boards.
Grade: C+
Julian Champagnie
For the second straight outing, Champagnie had trouble holding onto the ball. Saying he was loose with the basketball would be an understatement. Champagnie retained some of his value by playing satisfactory defense and keeping his energy up.
Grade: C
Tre Jones
When the Spurs made runs, it seemed like Jones was always in the mix. His quick cuts to the hoop were usually punctuated by an impressively athletic finish. I thought his defense was okay-ish but that his hustle was great. Hopefully Jones keeps playing at this level because he was a difference-maker on this night.
Grade: A-
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili is getting some backup center minutes. He’s doing fine. I liked his relentless energy that can be felt on both ends of the court. It’ll be interesting to see if he remains the team’s backup center going forward.
Grade: Inc.
Mitch Johnson
In retrospect, Jones should have played more. Playing Sochan 26 minutes when he couldn’t get a rebound and the Clippers were dominating on the glass was a bad decision. I liked the shots Wembanyama was getting but the rest of Johnson’s coaching was lacking.
Grade: D+