Spurs Fall To Clippers 109-102

The Spurs have now lost ten in a row after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers 109-102 on Wednesday night. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 22 points.

SPURS POSTGAME QUOTES: 

Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich  

(On what prompted him to ask the fans to stop booing…)

“I think anybody that knows anything about sports knows you don’t poke the bear.”

 (On what he liked about the way the team competed tonight  …)

“I was proud of them. We had a bad first quarter shooting-wise, obviously, but they only scored 26 in that quarter, so that really wasn’t a bad quarter, except for our shooting. But in the next three quarters, we outscored them 92-87. That’s not a win, but their competitiveness was off the charts, and the execution keeps getting better for a team that’s never played together. I was proud of them, and I thought they did a good job.”

 (On how he thought Devin Vassell played…)    

“I thought he was aggressive. We had a minute limitation on him, and he played those minutes, but he looked strong. He looked confident. I don’t think he shot it well tonight. I didn’t check the stats, but he took the shots, and that was great. They all really busted their butts on defense against some people who are going to be Hall of Fame players. I’m proud of them.”

 (On what he saw from Jeremy Sochan in terms of leadership…)

“I think they’re starting to get, not a pecking order, but the feeling that they could get together more on the court, don’t leave each other on an island kind of thing. Whether it’s a good run or a bad run, stay together and keep talking about what we’re doing out there offensively and defensively. I thought that he was much more vocal and involved in that than at the beginning of the season. He’s feeling a little bit more comfortable each game. It’s a brand new position, and he’s got a lot of things on his mind that he’s trying to get done. He’s doing well.”

  

Spurs Forward Jeremy Sochan  

(On if he’s pleased about the way the guys kept fighting…)

“Yeah. We never want to lose, but that’s the best way to lose. Staying hungry, playing against four Hall of Famers, a team that’s fighting for a championship. I think that’s the way to lead the game. So yeah, definitely.” 

 (On what he thought of Gregg Popovich asking the fans to stop booing Kawhi Leonard…)

“I think it’s the right thing to do. Again, you don’t know what’s going on in Kawhi’s [Leornard] head. He’s done so much for this organization, so there’s no need to disrespect him like that. I guess it’s a part of the game, but at the same time he’s a human, too. At the end of the day, I respect what Coach Pop did.” 

 (On if the players-only meeting will help the team get on the right track…)

“Definitely. That was a really important meeting for us. We talked a lot. It was a pretty good session for us to just communicate, let’s get things out, and just be on the same terms. It’s important to have those types of talks here and there, just to hear everyone out. So yeah, definitely.” 

  

Spurs Forward Victor Wembanyama  

(On if he’s pleased with the effort the team showed tonight…)

“That was a more solid game from us. We’re definitely on the right path. We can see a lot of potential watching those games, I think. So, it’s what we take from the game besides the frustration of losing. It’s all positive. They’re a contender [for] the title and we did a good job.” 

 (On what he picked up these past two games playing against four Hall of Famers  …)

“Obviously, very experienced team. It’s almost impossible to trick them, they don’t make mistakes, and they don’t fall for fakes, for basic tactics. It’s a good challenge, but we responded the right way in most moments tonight and soon it’s going to be even better.” 

 (On what he saw from Jeremy Sochan tonight…)

“Yeah, Pop told us about our competitiveness coming back to the locker room and we have leaders on the team. Jeremy’s one of them and it’s good he’s learning a new role, but at the same time, we’re here to help him and he’s also here reassuring us. He’s proving every day and I’m glad to have such a solid mental basis.”