Clippers lose to Spurs and OKC as Playin Tourney happens next week & then Playoffs begin- April 2026
The San Antonio Spurs continue to look like a legitimate title contender—and on this night at the Intuit Dome, they proved just how deep and dangerous they are.
Playing without franchise centerpiece Victor Wembanyama—who sat out with ankle soreness on the second night of a back-to-back after a monster outing against Golden State—the Spurs didn’t just survive. They dominated.
Spurs Roll Without Wemby
San Antonio cruised to a 118–99 victory, extending their win streak to 11 games and reinforcing their status as the second-best team in the league.
There was no drop-off in execution, energy, or identity. Instead, it was a balanced, explosive attack led by De’Aaron Fox, who controlled the game from the jump:
- Fox: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
He set the tone early, attacking gaps, pushing tempo, and anchoring a defense that kept the Clippers uncomfortable all night.
Young Core Steals the Show
What stood out most was San Antonio’s next wave of talent:
- Stephon Castle: 20 points, elite perimeter defense (including stretches guarding Kawhi)
- Dylan Harper: 19 points, dazzling shot creation, plus a jaw-dropping half-court buzzer-beater
- Devin Vassell: continued his steady scoring presence and spacing impact (key part of Spurs’ perimeter efficiency)
Castle and Harper combined with Fox for 61 points, showcasing a guard rotation that is quickly becoming one of the most dynamic in the league.
Even without Wembanyama’s interior dominance, the Spurs built a 24-point halftime lead (68–44) behind suffocating defense and accurate three-point shooting.
Defense + Shooting = Separation
San Antonio’s formula was simple and devastating:
- Aggressive, switching defense that disrupted rhythm
- Crisp ball movement
- Efficient three-point shooting that punished rotations
Every time the Clippers threatened—cutting the lead to single digits in the third—the Spurs responded with poise and timely shot-making.
Clippers Struggle to Keep Up
For the Los Angeles Clippers, it was another frustrating night against an elite opponent.
- Kawhi Leonard: led the way once again, finishing with strong scoring output and trying to spark the comeback
But beyond Leonard, consistency was lacking:
- Darius Garland: had an off night, struggling to find rhythm offensively
- The absence of Isaiah Jackson (injury) was glaring, especially inside, where the Clippers lacked rim protection and rebounding presence
Despite a third-quarter push, Los Angeles never fully recovered from the early deficit.
What It Means
The loss drops the Clippers to ninth place in the West, effectively locking them into the play-in tournament as the regular season winds down. Meanwhile, the Spurs:
- Improve to 59–18
- Sit just one win shy of a 60-win season
- Continue to pressure for the No. 1 seed
More importantly, they sent a message:
They don’t need perfection from Wembanyama to dominate.
This wasn’t just a win—it was a statement.
San Antonio showed championship-level depth, composure, and versatility. With Fox orchestrating, Castle defending, Harper emerging, and Vassell spacing the floor, the Spurs look like a team with answers for every matchup.
If this is what they look like without their generational star, the rest of the league has a serious problem.
They lost again to the top seed Oklahoma City Thunder on April 8th playing without star guard Darious Garland. The Thunder blew them out from the start and the Clippers could never catch up.
- Outcome: The win allowed the Thunder (64-16) to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the third consecutive season.
- Chet Holmgren: Led the Thunder with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Added 20 points and 11 assists.
- Clippers Performance: Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points.
- Game Flow: OKC dominated, leading by as many as 25 points, with a 69-49 halftime lead.
- While Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 20 points in his record 141st consecutive game despite sitting out the fourth quarter, Leonard scored at least 20 in his 56th straight game. Leonard also remained on track to play in at least 65 games this season – his second-most in seven years with the Clippers, and enough to qualify for All-NBA consideration.
Final Take
It looks like it will come down to the April 10th game vs Portland who earns the 8th seed in the Play In Tourney as the Blazers have the tie break advantage and finish vs Sacramento at Portland while the Clippers host the Warriors on April 12th.
More at www.nba.com/clippers
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