BJ Mathews is the host of the THE PULL UP! Basketball Podcast. He is a Clippers credentialed creator representing thePeachBasket. In this article, Why the Clippers Have the Team to Win the Clippers vs Spurs Playoff Series, he reports from San Antonio on why the Clippers match up well against the Spurs
SAN ANTONIO, TX – That was a playoff-atmosphere game.
There was a Western Conference showdown on ESPN in the Alamo City last Friday night. The San Antonio Spurs were able to will their way back into a game versus the visiting LA Clippers 116-112.
Despite the game’s outcome, this was eye-opening about what would happen if these two teams met in the playoffs.
Key takeaways
The Los Angeles Clippers have the advantage versus the Spurs in a playoff series.
This was their first matchup of the season; two remain. Despite the loss, the Clippers can look forward to the next two home games against the Spurs.
Clippers starters Darius Garland and John Collins were out. Still, the Clippers led by over 29 points against a near full-strength Spurs squad missing only Harrison Barnes.
To be fair, the Spurs were coming off the tail end of a back-to-back versus the physical Detroit Pistons. However, the Spurs were younger and at home, so the advantage still leaned toward them.
Experience versus youth
The saying sounds cliché, but it’s true: “Experience is the best teacher.” A team can be playing lights out in the regular season, where opponents will see them 2–4 times a year, and not really have to deal with the resistance from a team actually scouting you and taking away your strengths.
However, in the playoffs, it’s the exact opposite: it’s more about execution, with players being battle-tested. That is what the Clippers have over the Spurs.
Garland, Collins, Kawhi Leonard, Bennedict Mathurin, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, and Brook Lopez all have some sort of championship or playoff experience. For the Spurs, the only two players to reach that level are De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes.
Last playoffs, the second-seeded young Houston Rockets fell short to the seventh-seeded old Golden State Warriors. The masses looked at the regular-season top-seeded Rockets while overlooking the Warriors’ championship culture, whose values prioritize matchups over seeding.
Clippers vs Spurs Playoff Series: Kawhi Leonard will be the best player in the series
There are series that call for the best player to do heroic things. Kawhi Leonard had a game-high 30 points versus the Spurs, but he was also able to shut down Stephon Castle, who only had 3 points going into the 4th quarter. The responsibility of being the leading scorer while taking the defensive assignment and holding him well below his scoring average shows Leonard’s impact on both ends of the court.
Leonard is one of the greatest playoff performers of all time, elevating his level of play. From 2017–2025, he has averaged 28.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 4.5 APG with shooting splits of 51.1/37.5/86.8. While capable of having a great run, Victor Wembanyama has yet to enter the playoffs. The Clippers and Spurs will meet again twice more in Los Angeles; let’s see if the outcome is different with the Clippers having Garland and Collins back in the lineup.