Carter Bryant and the Spurs beat Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs were down 25 points to the Los Angeles Clippers before rallying back for a memorable victory. The Spurs got it going from three-point land in the third quarter to jumpstart their comeback and then kept scratching and clawing to secure the emotional win.
Stats: Spurs vs. Clippers
spurs clippers grades
Spurs vs. Clippers – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama admitted to being exhausted from the opening tip against the Clippers. That’s understandable because he played a season-high 39 minutes against a very physical Pistons squad the night before. Despite the fatigue, the 7-foot-forever superstar dominated in his 22 minutes, finishing with 27 points, ten rebounds, four blocks and only one turnover. Offensively, he shot well from the perimeter and also drove to the cup when it was needed. Defensively, Wembanyama guarded the rim well, rebounded admirably and even moved his feet out on the perimeter to help complete the comeback victory. Overall, while there were moments you could tell the Frenchman was tired, he battled as hard as he could — and for that, he should be celebrated.
Grade: A-
De’Aaron Fox
Fox’s fourth quarter mastery was a sight to behold. He played all 12 minutes and finished with ten points, six assists and zero turnovers on 5-for-8 shooting from the field. He was a maestro running the show, making smart decision after smart decision with the ball. The Spurs needed to play heady basketball to finish off their come from behind win and it was Fox who made sure that happened. Even though he was only 1-for-8 from deep for the game, he was ready to answer the bell when the good guys needed him most.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
The good: Castle played hardnosed defense against Kawhi. He wasn’t always successful on that end but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Castle totaled eight rebounds and eight assists to show off his all-around abilities. He scored the final basket to seal San Antonio’s four point win. The bad: Castle was only 1-for-7 from the floor before making a layup in the final seconds. He also turned the ball over four times, including a couple egregious ones.
Grade: B
Devin Vassell
Vassell hit a big three to give the Spurs a lead in the fourth quarter. All in all, though, it wasn’t a pristine shooting performance. Vassell was 4-for-13 from the field, including 2-for-8 on threes. His shots looked clean but he was due to cool off eventually. To his credit, he made smart decisions, played rugged defense and kept his confidence high throughout.
Grade: B
Julian Champagnie
One of the main reasons the Spurs were able to claw their way back was the play of Champagnie in the third quarter. San Antonio’s sharpshooter had 17 points in the quarter, including a fiery 4-for-5 showing from three-point territory. Without Champagnie catching fire in that period, the Spurs don’t get the momentum to stage the comeback. In addition to his hot shooting, he also pulled down nine rebounds and played solid defense.
Grade: A
Luke Kornet
Kornet was decent enough. He actually played more minutes than Wembanyama at center (24) and finished the evening with ten points, seven rebounds and two assists. The truth is, however, he wasn’t quite as good as those numbers suggest. Kornet was too often too slow to the ball. He also wasn’t as careful with the ball and his defense was a step slow. Thankfully, Kornet kept competing and was able to end his night on a high note.
Grade: C+
Keldon Johnson
Johnson gave a palpable amount of enthusiasm, both when he was on the court and when he was leading the cheers from the sideline. He hit a couple threes, rebounded well and kept his miscues to a minimum. He had a couple of glaring defensive mistakes but he provided invaluable energy to help make the improbable a reality.
Grade: B
Carter Bryant
As Wembanyama said after the game, Bryant posted one of the loudest five point performances of all-time. Defensively, he was a monster. From great on ball defense to fantastic help away from the ball and from challenging shots to hustling to loose balls, Bryant did it all during his 21 minutes on the court. While he only scored five points, those points came by the way of an alleyoop that shook the Frost Bank Center’s foundation and a key three-pointer when the game was tied late. It legitimately felt like the rookie was the main reason the Spurs were able to come back and win against the Clippers. Hopefully this is another stepping stone Bryant can use to find his niche in this team’s everyday rotation.
Grade: A+
Dylan Harper
Harper played decently well. I didn’t like his decision-making as much as I usually do and there were tactical errors on the defensive end … but the young man produced once again. In 20 minutes, he had eight points, four assists and only one turnover on 3-for-5 shooting from the field, including 1-for-1 from deep.
Grade: B
Mitch Johnson
Coach Mitch’s night will be remembered for the timely timeout he called — and rightfully so. With the Spurs about to turn the ball over, he called a timeout to retain possession at a key moment. Coach Mitch also deserves credit for riding Bryant longer than usual and squeezing every last drop out of Wembanyama.
Grade: A