The Spurs were two different teams tonight, the hyper efficient machine that took care of the Clippers early as they rushed out to a 40-14 first quarter lead and the bumbling disorganized mess that allowed the Clippers to get hot in the second half as Amir Coffey, James Harden, and Norman Powell picked up their games and hit shots as the Clippers surged to an improbable 113-104 win, their first win in their new $2 billion arena, the Intuit Dome.
Victor Wembanyama had an impressive game statistically, but also shares some of the blame for the loss because of some bad decisions leading to turnovers and defensive lapses. It might have been the most disappointing 9 block game in NBA history, but its just a matter of time until he fixes the lapses and becomes what we all know he can be.
Jeremy Sochan left just before the half, and his absence from the lineup was a big factor in the poor second half defense.
Observations
- What was I doing when I signed up for this game? A 9:30 tip-off a few days after the fall time change? I’ll be lucky if I’m awake enough to file this story on time.
- Shams Charania reported that Coach Popovich will be out for an indefinite absence with an undisclosed health issue. Mitch Johnson will be interim coach and there’s no concern with the teams performance since he is quite capable, but mostly fans are concerned about Popovich and hope for a speedy recovery and return to action.
- Michelle Beadle was there to help out with the telecast, and really brought a more bright and engaging presence that we’ve been missing for a while.
- White jerseys on the road? Dark jerseys at home? What a world, what a world.
- The Spurs got off to a quick 17-7 start as the home team provided little resistance to the white clad visitors. They kept their foot on the gas for the rest of the quarter, leading 40-14 after the first 12 minutes. Chris Paul had some of his best minutes as a Spur early against his old team and the Clippers seemed dead. The funny thing about NBA games is that they’re never over after 12 minutes, even when it seems that way.
- The Clippers got a little life with an 8-0 run to start the second quarter as the Spurs defensive intensity waned, leading to a Mitch Johnson timeout. Wemby broke their streak with a spectacular dunk, leading to another disappointing 10 point LA scoring run to cut the deficit to 10. As fluid as the Spurs offense was in the first, it turned into mud in the second. The Clipper resurgence resulted in them erasing most of the lead and trailing 56-48 on a Harden triple just before halftime.
- Sochan went to the locker room late in the second quarter after banging his thumb on a screen. Hopefully it’s nothing serious long term, but he did not return to the game. With Jeremy out, Castle had a much bigger role in the second half, and was aggressive on offense as he helped the Spurs rebuild the lead to double digits.
- Coffey’s pair of triples at the end of the third cut the Silver and Black lead to four points, and the first quarter 26 point lead was almost completely gone with 12 minutes to play.
- Mamu came in at the beginning of the fourth and immediately hit a three.
- Victor is simultaneously the most impressive and frustrating player I’ve ever watched. He can do things that no one else can do, but his decision making is still very much hit or miss. He can make an incredible play, and then follow it up with a terrible pass or a poor shot selection.
- The Clippers finally regained the lead midway through the fourth as they got hot from beyond the arc and Powell’s triple gave them a 93-81 lead.
- The Spurs made a little run towards the end of the game, but the Clips hung on, sealing the game with a Coffey layup and free throws to win 113-104.
The entire league has the day off tomorrow for Election Day, but the Spurs return to action on Wednesday night with another road game against the Rockets, followed by a home game against the Trail Blazers on Thursday.
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