SAN ANTONIO — A palpable elation resonated within the team’s changing room, located a short distance behind Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, as he spoke to journalists following their 116-112 triumph over the LA Clippers on Friday.
On the second consecutive night of play, San Antonio had just surmounted a 25-point deficit, marking the squad’s second-greatest comeback in the play-by-play chronology (since 1997-98). This achievement elevated their standing since February 1 to a league-leading 14-1. Such a performance represents the team’s finest record across a 15-game stretch since the 2015-16 season, when the Spurs secured a franchise-best 67 victories, according to ESPN analysis.
“I am completely drained right now,” declared Victor Wembanyama, who informed ESPN during his postgame on-court discussion that he felt “on the verge of collapse.”
“That constituted one of our finest victories,” he further commented. “It was among the premier games, a standout moment in my professional journey, my basketball existence.”
Wembanyama accumulated a team-best 27 points, including the decisive go-ahead score where he received a long pass in transition from De’Aaron Fox and slammed it in with 16 seconds remaining, igniting Frost Bank Center into a frenzy.
“That was likely the last fast break I had the energy for,” stated Wembanyama, who also contributed 10 rebounds and four blocks across 22 minutes.
Fox, concurrently, either scored or assisted on 25 of San Antonio’s 35 points in the fourth quarter, concluding the evening with 19 points and 9 assists.
“This particular win felt good,” Fox remarked. “It felt superior to yesterday’s.”
Facing the East-leading Detroit Pistons on Thursday, Wembanyama and Fox achieved 38 and 29 points, respectively. This made them the first San Antonio teammates since 2018 to each register 20-plus points in the same half of a game, according to ESPN Research. Their combined effort propelled the Spurs to a definitive triumph, improving their record to 6-1 against the top-ranked teams in each conference.
Following Friday’s success, with the hood of a gray sweatshirt pulled over his head, a visibly fatigued Wembanyama characterized the conclusion of the team’s latest back-to-back as “the most exceptional 30 hours of basketball” in his existence.
“The finest three hours of my life, without question,” he affirmed. “My preferred aspect is that we confronted highly distinct challenges over these past two contests, and we managed to respond to the demand in every single instance.”
Clippers center Brook Lopez, Johnson’s former university teammate at Stanford, complicated matters for San Antonio. He impressively scored a game-high 17 points against the Spurs on 7-of-11 shooting in the initial half, leaving San Antonio with its largest halftime deficit of the season at 20 points.
By the 9:23 mark of the third quarter, the Clippers had expanded their advantage to 75-50.
“A strenuously fought game last night [against Detroit], the second outing of a back-to-back, and the players are somewhat injured,” Johnson observed. “The competitive reaction and the character exhibited by the players to truly strive to unify and persist through the mental, physical, and emotional weariness was praiseworthy.”
Former Spur Kawhi Leonard, who faced jeers whenever he possessed the ball, garnered a game-leading 30 points along with nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Spurs newcomer Carter Bryant garnered accolades after the game from Leonard, Johnson, and Wembanyama, who described the forward’s contribution that night as “the most impactful five points.” Bryant, 20, defended Leonard during the concluding moments. His father, D’Cean Bryant, mentored Leonard in high school as an assistant coach at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California.
“I used to be on the opposite side of the court when my father was training Kawhi, merely mimicking his actions,” Bryant recounted. “I was eight, nine, 10 years old, observing Kawhi progress to San Diego State. He approached me after the game. He remarked, ‘Man, your young self used to be darting around on the court. I’m proud of you. Just persist. Keep faith in the journey.’”
San Antonio outscored the Clippers 66-37 during the final 21:20 of the second half. The fourth quarter witnessed seven changes in the lead. With 52.3 seconds remaining, Derrick Jones Jr. completed a three-point play to place the Clippers ahead 112-111, before Fox and Wembanyama combined for the decisive dunk.
Wembanyama produced his 16th game with four 3-point field goals and four blocks, the highest tally in NBA annals, according to ESPN analysis. The Spurs intend to take Saturday off before resuming their homestand on Sunday with a contest against a formidable Houston Rockets squad.
While concluding his postgame media session, Wembanyama inquired about the current time, beginning to calculate in his mind how much slumber he could attain before the subsequent game.
“I will get two sound nights of rest,” Wembanyama stated. “The positive aspect is that I didn’t experience any significantly painful areas in my body. Therefore, I don’t have anything specific that requires attention. It’s just the entire system, which is optimal. It signifies I am in good health. Two good nights of sleep, recuperation, massage, whatever, cold contrast, hot and cold, all these methods. I recover quite rapidly. So, I am not concerned about two days from now.”