The best parts of the Spurs to the Clippers

The Spurs hoped to duplicate their last meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers where they had enough success to have a chance to close the deal, but the second Clippers matchup in 7 days did not go quite so well. Keldon Johnson led the good guys with 18 points while Isaiah Roby contributed 14 coming off the bench.

Basketball-Reference.com says Keldon Johnson is right handed, my eyes tell me Keldon Johnson is right handed, I’m sure Keldon Johnson says he’s right handed, but Twitter is showing me Keldon Johnson taking this tough reverse layup with his left hand so Twitter must be right.

Blake Wesley goes up for a prompt dunk off of a nice dart pass from Doug McDermott. The Spurs 25th pick of the 2022 draft has seen most of his NBA action in the new year where he’s appeared in three games this month compared to two in 2022 back in October. Thursday night’s match-up against the Clippers was the most minutes (21:14) the rookie has played so far in his young career.

My high school band director always threatened to send us to underwater basket-weaving class if we ever stepped out of line (literally on the football field at the halftime show), but I don’t think my school ever offered that class. I think Johnson’s alma mater, Kentucky, might have offered the class, but the former Wildcat certainly weaved his way to the basket for two on this bucket.

“Fake it until you make it” is running through Isaiah Roby’s head while he allows his defender to fly by to free himself up for an open three. “I can buy myself flowers,” from Miley Cyrus’s new single, is running through my head, but that’s a me issue.

Roby’s minutes have see-sawed throughout his first season with the Spurs, but Thursday night represented his most productive game with the team to the tune of 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.

The Spurs did not shoot well from three on Thursday night, but Doug McDermott was dialed in as all three of his makes from the floor were from deep.

Tre Jones ran a one-man, ring-around-the-rosie sequence around the Clippers until he found a cutting Keldon Johnson and dropped off a pretty bounce pass to Johnson for a finish at the rim.

Isaiah Roby had himself a thunderous dunk and-1. The Spurs power forward caught the pinpoint pass from Zach Collins with one hand and immediately powered this one through for the slam in one smooth motion.

And last but never least, the full-game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs head back home to the friendly confines of the AT&T Center to take on the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, January 27, 2023.