NBA: Wembanyama falters in first road game as Clippers topple Spurs
San Antonio Spurs’ French forward-center Victor Wembanyama is fouled by Los Angeles Clippers’ US guard #0 Russell Westbrook during the NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, on October 29, 2023. | Photo by DAVID SWANSON / AFP
LOS ANGELES— Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, Paul George added 19 and the Los Angeles Clippers’ stars schooled Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama in his first road game, a 123-83 rout of San Antonio on Sunday night.
Wembanyama was held to 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. He committed five of the Spurs’ season-worst 25 turnovers.
It was a letdown for Wembanyama after he scored 15 points in his NBA debut against Dallas last week. He followed up with 21 points in an overtime victory against Houston.
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Russell Westbrook had 19 points and Ivica Zubac scored 16 for the Clippers, who had seven players in double figures. Westbrook and Zubac had a team-high eight rebounds apiece.
Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 14 points and Cedi Osman added 12 off the bench.
Wembanyama was the only Spurs starter on the court to start the fourth when they trailed 93-60. But he checked out for good after playing 26 minutes and clapped for his teammates from the bench.
Westbrook — the French teenager’s favorite player growing up — delivered a knee to Wembanyama’s thigh in the third. The 19-year-old made 1 of 2 free throws, capping a stretch in which he scored five of the Spurs’ seven points to leave them trailing 77-48.
After drawing a crowd to his warmup an hour before tipoff, Wembanyama got off to a mixed start. The 7-foot-3 star had a turnover on the Spurs’ first possession, blocked Zubac and then missed two free throws.
Wembanyama tapped in an alley-oop pass from Zach Collins for his only two points of the first quarter. The Spurs were down by 12 before scoring their first points in the second on Wembanyama’s hook.
The Clippers led by 21 in the second quarter before Westbrook hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to send them into halftime ahead 56-37. He slapped hands with fans in the front row.
The Clippers raced to a 20-7 start, with George scoring nine points. His five steals were the most in a quarter in his career.
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