SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs said goodbye to 2024 with a 122-86 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on New Year’s Eve at the Frost Bank Center.
The victory saw San Antonio move above .500 and rebound from a narrow loss to Minnesota on Sunday.
In case you were out enjoying the New Year’s celebrations, here are three takeaways from the Spurs’ win over the Clippers:
Wemby closes year in style
Victor Wembanyama closed out 2024 with his best performance of the month, which will likely lead to Player of the Month honors. Wemby had 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 26 minutes — including 17 in the opening period.
Wembanyama is the first player in NBA history with 300 points, 100 rebounds, 50 blocks, 50 assists and 40 3-pointers in a single month.
In the month of December, Wemby scored 25 or more points in 9 of 12 games, proving he will be a problem for defenses as the calendar turns to 2025.
Defensive effort
San Antonio’s defense showed up on Tuesday and it led to their most complete win of the season. The Spurs built a 25-point lead in the second quarter and it would expand to 34 by the third quarter, forcing Los Angeles coach Ty Lue to pull his starters from the game.
As the Spurs built their lead to 41, Wemby was pulled from the game with 8:41 remaining.
“I thought the physicality was superb, that they were connected. The game plan execution was sharp, and from the transition to the half court, it was a very good showing,” Spurs Acting Head Coach Mitch Johnson said of the Spurs’ defense.
Castle finds his range
After a month of rookie Stephon Castle hitting a wall, which saw him struggle, he found his groove on Tuesday.
Castle finished with 15 points on the night, shooting the ball (62 percent) well and finding his teammates.
Up next
The Spurs are now 17-16 on the season and will return to the court on Friday when they travel to face the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena with tip off set for 8 p.m.
