By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After wild swings and a late-game surge, the San Antonio Spurs secured their 50th victory of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season on Monday, holding off the Los Angeles Clippers 119–115 at Intuit Dome.
The team coached by Mitch Johnson overcame an early 14-point deficit to build a massive 24-point lead in the third quarter. However, the Clippers clawed back with a 16–3 run, cutting the lead to ten entering the fourth and forcing a tense finish.
Victor Wembanyama was the engine behind the victory. The 22-year-old French center finished with 21 points on 9/20 field goals, 13 rebounds, four blocks, one steal, and one assist in 34 minutes.
“It wasn’t pretty, but we got the job done,” Wemby recapped during a postgame flash interview.
Despite the milestone 50th win, the French phenom remains unsatisfied. Reflecting on the growth since his debut, he told reporters, “It’s still not enough. I want to get to at least 60 to balance out my rookie season.”
Moving to 50–18 brought the Spurs within three games of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder for the top seed in the Western Conference. When asked about wanting first place, Wembanyama’s answer was simple: “Of course.”
Exceeding expectations
During the postgame press conference, Wembanyama credited the team’s leap this year to an intense summer. “I hope we can be this locked in for all the other offseasons to come, because it was a really high-level preparation, mentally, physically, for everybody. The amount of film we did. And this is the reason we were so ready for the season.”
The Le Chesnay native admitted that the team’s current trajectory has surpassed his initial goals for the year. “My goal was never to make the Play-In or win the Play-In, but to get into the Playoffs, no question. And that would have meant a successful season at the time,” he said.
“We are having fun. All of us are reaching new heights individually and collectively. It’s a real pleasure to be on the court,” added Wemby.
Connection with Nicolas Batum
The Clippers game featured a meeting with his former French National Team teammate, Nicolas Batum. The Clippers’ forward grabbed three rebounds but failed to score in 12 minutes.
“Playing with him on the national team, it felt so weird at first because that’s the guy I literally went and watched play on the national team as a kid,” Wembanyama said of Batum. “You look up to him when you can, but when he’s actually a teammate, he doesn’t disappoint you. Because he’s such a great leader, a great mentor, such a good guy.”
Meanwhile, Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic stayed out of the rotation of the team coached by Tyronn Lue, while Switzerland’s Yanic Konan Niederhauser remains sidelined for the rest of the regular season with a right Lisfranc ligament tear.