The Spurs end the year with a blowout win over the Clippers

01/01/2025 12:45 PM

Highlights from the Spurs win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The San Antonio Spurs finished 2024 with some fireworks. The Silver and Black took it to the Los Angeles Clippers in a 122-86 win. The victory improved the Spurs' record to 17-16, the first time they are heading into a new year with an above .500 record since the end of 2018 when they were 21-17. It also improved San Antonio's record in games with more rest than their opponents to 10-0.

They came out of the gates quickly, thanks to Victor Wembanyama's 17 first-quarter points.

Wembanyama did his damage inside and out on his way to a finished with 27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in 26 minutes. The Spurs were able to punish the Clippers in the paint, even with Ivica Zubac guarding the basket. The two-man game between Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan has become a lot of fun in the last month or so.

Speaking of the two-man game, we finally got our SportsCenter Top-10 Chris Paul to Wembanyama highlight. The Spurs had their hands all over the passing lanes grabbing 10 steals. They used that to get out on the break and have some fun, putting on a show for the New Year's Eve crowd.

Wemby was a force around the basket, swatting away shots and finishing on the other end. This play was one of the best of the night. How many players in the league can gobble up a shot attempt, take it the other way and dump it off to a cutter for the layup?

Running the break after a Wembanyama block has to be one of the Spurs best forms of offense. It's made even better because Wemby willingly runs the floor. Here Paul hits him in the middle of the court, and his three-point shooting ability makes the Clippers have to pick him up at the line, opening up a passing lane for Stephon Castle to cut to the hoop for two.

Castle had a great game, finishing with 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He did most of his damage in the third quarter, getting to the basket and hitting mid-range jump shots. Castle has been largely effective while playing alongside guards like Paul and Tre Jones. Seeing more time alongside those guards and some of the other starters could help the rookie get back on track.

Keldon Johnson has been heating up lately, too. He's getting to the basket more and using his strength and touch to finish through contact. He's also one of the most exciting dunkers on the Spurs. When he gets a head of steam, he truly earns the "Mustang" nickname. This finish was the most emphatic of the game. Johnson had 17 points and 6 boards in the win.

The fourth quarter was largely garbage time, but sometimes that's when we get to see young players get into their bag. Who knew Julian Champagnie had a crossover-step back jumper in his game? Usually the wing is relegated to spot-up attempts, but this off-the-dibble attempts was smooth.

Everyone's favorite garbage time prospect, Sidy Cissoko, got in on the action, too. The second-year wing has been cooking in the G League. He got some NBA minutes and showed his combination of athleticism and defensive ability. If he can continue building his offensive game in the G, maybe we will see him crack the Spurs rotation some day.

The Spurs will get a bit of rest before heading to Denver for a matchup with the Nuggets on Friday. Check out full game highlights from the win over the Clippers below.