SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs put together one of the more impressive second-half performances of the 2025-26 NBA season on Friday night, outscoring the LA Clippers 70-46 over the final two quarters to come away with a 116-112 victory at Frost Bank Center. The win was broadcast nationally on ESPN in front of an attendance of 18,711, and it served as a reminder of just how dangerous this Spurs team can be when they find their rhythm. San Antonio improved to 46-17 on the season, while Los Angeles dropped to 30-32.
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
First Quarter: Clippers Take Early Control — LAC 32, SA 25
The Clippers arrived in San Antonio with an edge from the opening tip. Kawhi Leonard set the tone early, and Los Angeles moved the ball with purpose to build a seven-point advantage by the end of the first quarter. San Antonio’s offense looked out of sync, managing just 25 points on what was a sluggish start to the evening for the home side.
Second Quarter: Clippers Extend Lead — LAC 34, SA 21
Things got tougher for the Spurs in the second frame. The Clippers continued to execute efficiently and extended their lead significantly, outscoring San Antonio 34-21 in the quarter. By halftime, Los Angeles led 66-46 — a 20-point advantage that appeared to put the Spurs in a very difficult position. The Spurs shot inconsistently from the field in the first half and could not keep pace with a Clippers offense that was clicking on multiple cylinders.
Third Quarter: Spurs Take Control — SA 35, LAC 26
Whatever adjustments head coach Gregg Popovich’s staff made at the break, they worked. San Antonio came out of the locker room with renewed energy and purpose, outscoring the Clippers 35-26 in the third quarter. Wembanyama became the focal point of the offense, and De’Aaron Fox began to assert himself as a playmaker. The deficit was trimmed substantially as the Frost Bank Center crowd grew louder with each Spurs basket.
Fourth Quarter: Spurs Complete the Comeback — SA 35, LAC 20
The fourth quarter belonged entirely to San Antonio. The Spurs matched their third-quarter output with another 35-point period, outscoring the Clippers 35-20 to complete one of the more remarkable comebacks of the season. Los Angeles, which had been so effective in the first half, could not answer San Antonio’s second-half intensity. The Spurs took the lead and held off any late Clippers resistance to secure the 116-112 final.
Key Performers
Victor Wembanyama — San Antonio Spurs
Wembanyama was the defining player of this contest. The second-year big man led all Spurs scorers with 27 points and added 10 rebounds and 4 blocks, finishing with a game-high efficiency rating. His combination of rim protection and offensive versatility gave the Clippers no clean answers in the second half. The performance was another strong entry in what has been a remarkable individual season for the French center.
De’Aaron Fox — San Antonio Spurs
Fox was the engine of the Spurs’ comeback in terms of creation. He led all players with 9 assists, doing the work of keeping teammates involved and generating quality looks throughout San Antonio’s second-half surge. His ability to apply pressure in transition and orchestrate the offense gave the Spurs a different dimension that the Clippers struggled to contain.
Kawhi Leonard — LA Clippers
Leonard delivered a strong individual performance for Los Angeles, leading all scorers in the game with 30 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 3 steals. He was at his most effective in the first half, helping stake the Clippers to their 20-point lead. Even as San Antonio pulled away late, Leonard remained one of the few consistent offensive options for LA. His effort was noteworthy — the result simply did not go his team’s way.
Jordan Miller — LA Clippers
Miller led the Clippers in assists with 6, serving as an important secondary playmaker for Los Angeles throughout the game. While the Clippers’ offense stalled in the second half, Miller’s passing remained one of the brighter spots in an otherwise difficult closing stretch for the visiting team.
Game Analysis
This game told two very different stories. For three quarters — or really, two — it appeared the Clippers were on their way to a comfortable road victory. Their first-half execution was sharp: 48.8% from the field overall, 12 made threes, and 16 free throws converted. Leonard and company moved efficiently and kept San Antonio at arm’s length.
But the Spurs’ second-half response was notable on multiple levels. San Antonio made 41 three-point attempts on the night and connected on 17 of them (41.5%), a strong rate that reflected their ability to generate open looks once they found their offensive rhythm. The Spurs also dominated the glass, finishing with 52 rebounds compared to the Clippers’ 41 — an 11-board advantage that contributed to extra possessions and, ultimately, momentum.
For the Clippers, the collapse after halftime raises questions about defensive consistency and the team’s ability to close out games on the road against elite opponents. San Antonio’s 35-point third and fourth quarters were not flukes — they reflected a sustained, organized effort that the Clippers had no sustained answer for. LA’s free throw advantage (16-of-20, 80%) kept them competitive in the final box score, but it was not enough to offset what became a 70-46 second-half deficit.
Wembanyama’s performance also underscores a broader point: the Spurs are a different team in the second half of this season than they were a year ago. At 46-17, San Antonio has established itself as one of the premier teams in the Western Conference, and Friday’s performance demonstrated an ability to weather difficult stretches and respond with sustained quality play.
Standings and Series Implications
With the victory, the San Antonio Spurs improve to 46-17 overall (23-6 at home, 23-11 on the road), solidifying their standing near the top of the Western Conference playoff picture as the regular season enters its final stretch. The Clippers, meanwhile, fall to 30-32, placing them in a precarious position in the Western Conference standings with the play-in tournament looming. Los Angeles will need to find more consistency on both ends of the floor if they hope to secure a postseason berth. For San Antonio, the focus now turns to maintaining their position as one of the West’s top seeds as the playoff race enters its final weeks.
