NBA: Spurs hold on for win over Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers

Victor Wembanyama scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Stephon Castle added 23 points and eight assists as the San Antonio Spurs continued their late-season surge with a 119-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Devin Vassell contributed 20 points and De’Aaron Fox added 18 as the Spurs improved to an NBA-best 18-2 since the start of February. San Antonio took control in the second quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 37-15.

Second in the Western Conference standings, the Spurs moved within three games of first-place Oklahoma City Thunder.

Darius Garland led the Clippers with 25 points and 10 assists in a game without Kawhi Leonard, who sprained his left ankle in Saturday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings. Jordan Miller added a career-high-tying 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Bennedict Mathurin scored 16 points and John Collins contributed 11 as Los Angeles fell to 7-3 since the start of March.

The Clippers came out strong, taking a 13-1 lead and holding a 17-3 advantage 4:30 into the game. Los Angeles led 37-29 after the first quarter.

The Spurs responded in the second, with Wembanyama scoring 11 points while San Antonio shot 51.9% from the floor, forced eight turnovers, and out-rebounded Los Angeles 15-7 to take a 66-52 lead into halftime.

San Antonio expanded its lead to as many as 24 points (87-63) with 4:52 remaining in the third quarter after a 3-pointer from Harrison Barnes. The Clippers rallied to 92-82 heading into the fourth.

Los Angeles cut the deficit to 105-98 on a put-back by Miller with 5:24 left, and Mathurin narrowed it further to 108-102 with 4:15 remaining. A Garland 3-pointer brought the Clippers within 115-111 with 38.7 seconds on the clock, but the Spurs sealed the win by making four free throws in the final 30 seconds.

The loss dropped the Clippers to 4-11 without Leonard this season.

-Field Level Media/Reuters