Spurs Starter, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024: Clutch Plays, Clutch Players for San Antonio

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the San Antonio Spurs, including news, draft and more.

Mathey Gibson | 9 Hours Ago

Dec 19, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) goes for a loose ball in between Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) and forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in overtime at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

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San Antonio Spurs

Victor Wembanyama lit up the scoreboard with an impressive 42 points, and Chris Paul delivered some clutch moments to help the San Antonio Spurs edge past the Atlanta Hawks in a thrilling 133-126 overtime victory on Thursday night.

The game had drama to spare.

Late in regulation, with the Hawks holding a three-point lead, Paul nailed a 3-pointer, drew a foul, and sank the free throw, putting the Spurs up 119-118 with under a minute to go.

Wembanyama added a free throw to stretch the lead to two, but Atlanta wasn’t done yet. De’Andre Hunter threw down a ferocious dunk over Wembanyama to tie things up with 11 seconds left.

A Spurs turnover and a missed shot by Trae Young at the buzzer sent the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Wembanyama drained a clutch 3-pointer to give San Antonio the lead for good.

That was the icing on the cake for a massive cross-conference victory.

Now, onto the headlines.

The News

1. READ: How a Single Trade Helped Build a Spurs Dynasty, and Another Nearly Ended It

From Dennis Rodman to Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs have a knack for making bold trades.

Check out the full story at the link above.

2. WATCH: The San Antonio Minute: A Temp Check After A Not-So-Hot Shooting Night

The San Antonio Spurs shot just 11-for-45 from the 3-point line against the Minnesota Timberwolves nearly two years after a similar figure, but while they might not have been able to reach the ocean, there isn't any reason for concern.

Check out the full story at the link above.

3. READ: San Antonio Spurs Move Up in Latest NBA Power Rankings

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-1 last week, despite missing several pieces in both matchups against the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Check out the full story at the link above.

Today's Schedule

No games. Next: vs. Portland Trailbalzers | 7:30 p.m. CT.

The Full Schedule

The San Antonio Spurs played their first game of the year on Oct. 25, kicking off the second season of Victor Wembanyama's young NBA career. Now that it's through, here's a preview of some upcoming dates and times (all in CST) throughout the season to watch for:

San Antonio Spurs Regular Season Schedule

Dec. 25: MSG Christmas at New York Knicks

Dec. 31: New Year's vs. LA Clippers

Jan. 23-25: Paris Games vs. Indiana Pacers

Feb. 3: Rodeo Road Trip Begins at Memphis Grizzlies

Feb. 14-16: All-Star Break

Feb. 20: Spurs Get Moody vs. Phoenix Suns
Feb. 21: Spurs Get Moody vs. Detroit Pistons

March 21: Longest Home Stand Ends vs. Philadelphia 76ers

April 6: Final Road Trip Begins at Portland Trail Blazers
April 13: Final Home Game vs. Toronto Raptors

Around the NBA

Catch up on some of the league-wide headlines below:

1. Doc Rivers Offered Simple Five-Word Description of Damian Lillard's NBA Cup Takeover

2. Peculiar Stat Shows Former Lakers Coach Darvin Ham Stands Alone in NBA Cup History

3. Kyrie Irving Goes 1-on-1 With Luka Doncic in Mavs 'King of the Court' Tournament

On This Date in Spurs History ...

December 20, 2017: Without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker (quad injuries), LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points against his former team, while Pau Gasol had 20 points and 17 rebounds, to lead the 93-91 victory at Portland.