The Los Angeles Clippers had no problem shutting down Victor Wimpanyama.
The Clippers easily cruised past the San Antonio Spurs to earn a 123-83 win at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night. They held Wembanyama to just 11 points in the blowout as well, ruining their first NBA road game.
The Clippers took complete control of the game from the beginning. They opened the game on a 20-7 run, holding Wembanyama to just two points in the first quarter. By halftime, they led by 19 points after limiting the Spurs to just 20 points as a team in the second quarter.
However, it was the third quarter when the Clippers opened the game wide open. They opened the second half on an 18-6 run, which suddenly put them up by 30. By then, the Spurs were well behind it. The Clippers won by 40 points without any problems.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 21 points and four assists in the win. Paul George and Russell Westbrook each added 19 points, and Ivica Zubac added 16 points and eight rebounds. The Clippers shot 52% as a team, outscoring the Spurs by 11. They only trailed for three minutes the entire game.
Wembanyama was limited in his debut Wednesday night. He played just 23 minutes of the Spurs’ loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to keep San Antonio close. Wembanyama added five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in his debut, shooting 6-of-9 from the field.
Wimbanyama then dropped 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as he led the Spurs to an overtime win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. He went 0-of-6 from behind the arc, but scored the tying bucket to force the extra period.
Except for a few select moments, Wimbanyama couldn’t do anything on Sunday night. He finished the game with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists. Wimbanyama shot 4-of-10 from the field, and also committed five turnovers. All four of his buckets came from inside the paint just a few feet from the rim. At one point, Clippers forward and fellow Frenchman Nicolas Batum blocked Wembanyama at the rim to break up the ball.
Devin Vassell was the top scorer for the Spurs with 14 points. Cedi Othman added 12 points off the bench. They were the only Spurs players to score in double figures.
Wembanyama and the Spurs will return to action Tuesday night for the first of two games against the Suns in Phoenix.
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