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San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) points to the out of bounds line while Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum (33) throws the ball in from in front of the line during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Clippers' careless gaffe in gut-punch loss to Spurs could come back to haunt them

By Sean Keane | Last updated Mar 7, 2026 7:41 PM ET

Despite a 6-21 start, James Harden forcing a trade and a lingering NBA investigation, the Los Angeles Clippers have clawed back to the edge of playoff contention. Blowing a giant lead Friday was a massive gut punch.

The Clippers had won three straight and took a 25-point lead on the San Antonio Spurs midway through the third quarter. But thanks to a furious comeback, a huge game from Victor Wembanyama and a fatal late-game gaffe, they lost 116-112 and dropped further back in the standings.

L.A. Clippers have a small margin for error

Kawhi Leonard had 30 points and nine rebounds against the Spurs, his third game of 30-plus points in his last six games. He scored 20 points in the final quarter, half his team's total, as the Clippers fell short. Even with his stellar recent play, Leonard's team remains two games under .500.

The loss kept them two games behind the Golden State Warriors for eighth place, a crucial difference. Finishing ninth means having to win two play-in games to qualify for the playoffs rather than getting two chances to win one game, and force them into a likely matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have beaten the Clippers twice by an average of 20 points.

They had a real chance to get within a game of the Warriors Friday. Trailing by one even after the Spurs' frantic comeback, Nicolas Batum inbounded the ball, but he never stepped onto the court before receiving a return pass.

how do you make a mistake like this with the game on the line pic.twitter.com/uiHNmqlJGq
— Automatic (@automaticnba) March 7, 2026

It wasn't just Batum who made mistakes. The Spurs missed three free throws in the final seconds and grabbed offensive rebounds off two of the misses. It was a winnable game where an exhausted Wembanyama played just 22 minutes (with 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks), and the Clippers couldn't close it out.

Kawhi Leonard's availability is still in question

Leonard has been incredible this season — when he's on the court. He's only missed 14 games, which is a remarkably low number based on his recent history. But it's hard to trust that The Claw will remain available, especially since he's been sidelined by multiple nagging injuries this season.

With Leonard, the Clippers are a serious upset threat. Without him, and with Harden traded away, they're simply not a playoff-level team. The Clippers are 26-22 when Leonard plays and 4-10 when he sits. They can't afford to waste strong performances against good teams when history suggests their star will miss a few more games — he's played more than 60 games only once in the last nine seasons.

They still have a 2-1 record against the Warriors this season and the teams will meet on the season's final day. Nine of their remaining games are against some of the league's worst teams, though the Warriors play eight tankers.

But if the Clippers can't catch Golden State and end up in the 9-10 play-in game, they may look back on a botched inbounds play with deep regrets.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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