3 Takeaways as Spurs rout Clippers without Wembanyama

LOS ANGELES — After looking at the injury report for Thursday’s game against the Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue felt the need to remind his team of one well-worn fact.

“They’re a good team even when Wemby is not playing,” Lue said.

With superstar center Victor Wembanyama was out nursing a sore right ankle on the second night of a back-to-back, the Spurs went and proved Lue correct, running away with a 118-99 victory at the Intuit Dome.

The victory was the Spurs’ 11^th in a row, matching their longest winning streak of the season.

They did it in blowout fashion against a Clippers team vying to become their first-round playoff opponent.

De’Aaron Fox had 22 points and Stephon Castle chipped in 20 for the Spurs, who led by as many as 26 after the first possession of the second half.

The Spurs improved to 21-0 this season when staked to a 25-point lead.

Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points to lead the Clippers, while Benedict Mathurin added 18 off the bench.

With the victory, the Spurs bumped their season record to 59-18, one win away from the sixth 60-win season in franchise history.

Here are three takeaways from Thursday’s triumph, as the Spurs’ road trip moves on to Denver on Saturday:

1. Fox got the Spurs started

Fox’s first full season in San Antonio has been one of sacrifice. His scoring average is down 6.5 points from what he was averaging in Sacramento at the time of his trade to the Spurs.

That is mostly a testament to Fox’s willingness to share the ball with a pair of up-and-coming young guards in Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.

With the Spurs’ leading scorer out Thursday, the Spurs needed Fox to get them going early.

The All-Star guard notched 18 of his points in the first half, helping stake the Spurs to a 68-44 lead at the break.

At that juncture, Fox was also the Spurs’ leader in rebounds (seven) and assists (five). Fox had a quieter second half, as Harper and Castle scored 10 apiece after the break.

The Spurs wouldn’t have been in position to run away with the game had Fox not gotten them started.

2. Wemby still in good shape for awards

Thursday wasn’t necessarily a scheduled day off for Wembanyama, but close to it.

The All-Star center has been deal with minor pain in his right ankle for a while. After his 41-point, 18-rebound effort in Wednesday’s win at Golden State, the second night of a back-to-back seemed as good a time as any to grab Wembanyama some rest.

“That ankle is still angry at him,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “The back-to-back makes it more of a discussion in terms of recovery and lack of time from the previous game.”

Even after Thursday’s absence, Wembanyama remains in good shape to reach the 65-game threshold to remain eligible for postseason awards like MVP, All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defense.

He must play in three of the Spurs’ final five regular-season games to make that mark.

Johnson said Wembanyama’s sore ankle, though minor, is something the Spurs will have to manage between now and the start of the playoffs.

“We don’t have any more back-to-backs, so that helps him with more recovery time,” Johnson said. “It’s something we’ll definitely be mindful of so we can get everybody as healthy as they can be down the stretch.”

3. Spurs make a playoff statement

The Spurs swept the season series against the Clippers 3-0, with all the games featuring huge leads and wild swings. The Spurs won the first matchup on March 6, overcoming a 25-point deficit to beat the Clippers by four in San Antonio.

Ten days after that, they nearly blew a 24-point lead before holding on for another four-point win in L.A. If this is a potential first-round playoff meeting – and it might be – Thursday might have represented the grandest statement of all.

On the second night of a back-to-back, without Wembanyama, the Spurs went on the road and won by 19 points.

It is something neither team is likely to forget if they meet again later this month.