Paul George Leads Clippers Over Spurs in Second-Half Comeback
The San Antonio Spurs (5-4) dropped their second consecutive game by losing 113-106 to the LA Clippers (5-4) on Friday.
Paul George set the tone for the Clippers with a game-high 33 points. John Wall chipped in 15 points and six assists to offer needed help as Kawhi Leonard has remained sidelined as he deals with tightness in his knee.
“We did a great job at the end of keeping pace into the game,” Wall said. “When we play with pace, we’re a tough team because we get out, get mismatches. We pass the ball to the right guy; they make the right reads and make plays. Try to make the game simple.”
The Clippers trailed by a 10-point margin in the third quarter but overcame the disadvantage with effective late-game execution. Los Angeles dropped in five made 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and shot 12-19 overall to outscore the Spurs 31-20 in the period.
Devin Vassell left the game with 8:52 remaining in regulation, with the Spurs holding a 94-91 lead. He scored a career-high 29 points in 25 minutes off the bench. His playing time was restricted after missing four consecutive games due to knee soreness.
“I was itching to get back out there,” Vassell said. “Just to help my team. I’ve been sitting a couple of games. I was sitting there watching long enough, so I wanted to be out there.”
The Spurs proved unable to close out the game with Vassell on the sidelines. San Antonio was outscored 22-12 after Vassell's night ended.
“We learned how we’ve got to try to close the game out,” Vassell said. “Playing together as a team. They were letting the ball find the open man. We’ve got to do that, too.”
The Spurs will seek to end their two-game losing streak on Saturday when they take on the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back.
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