OCEANSIDE — Playing the second night of a back-to-back, the San Diego Clippers fell 113–92 to the Oklahoma City Blue on Friday night at Frontwave Arena, dropping to 8–9 on the season. The loss highlighted areas the Clippers need to address as they look to climb back into playoff contention.
With TyTy Washington Jr., Kobe Brown and Patrick Baldwin Jr. all in uniform on assignment from the NBA, San Diego opened the game with a noticeable pace, taking a narrow lead into halftime. The Clippers led after the first quarter and remained competitive through much of the second, but Oklahoma City seized control in the third, capitalizing on defensive lapses and turnovers.
Kobe-Wan Kenobi 🙏 pic.twitter.com/gXVEu6sjD3
— SD Clippers (@sandiego_clips) January 25, 2026
San Diego struggled to contain dribble penetration and repeatedly gave up cuts to the basket, allowing the Blue to build a lead they never relinquished. “It’s always a little bit of a challenge when guys come down because we haven’t practiced with those guys,” Clippers head coach John Pulikidas said. “Finding chemistry in a weekend is tough, but that’s part of it. You just have to adjust on the fly.”
Washington handled much of the playmaking responsibility, while Brown and Baldwin rotated through multiple lineups as San Diego searched for combinations that could slow Oklahoma City’s momentum. “We push each other to be better every single day,” Pulikidas said. “Going back and seeing familiar faces, that helps everybody.”
The game ultimately turned on the defensive end, where Oklahoma City found consistent success off the ball. “We were getting lazy defensively,” Pulikidas admitted. “We gave up a lot of back cuts, and they were exploiting mismatches. We didn’t make the adjustments we should have, and it showed in the third quarter.”
Pulikidas finished with 14 points as his role continues to expand within the rotation. “They’re just telling me to be myself, stay aggressive and shoot the ball,” he said. “For me, it’s about staying confident and continuing to get better, game by game.”
starting off hot with a JP 3 pic.twitter.com/QDhpP9F0Ia
— SD Clippers (@sandiego_clips) January 25, 2026
Despite the loss, the Clippers pointed to the opportunity to play alongside multiple NBA-assigned players as a positive moving forward. “One bad weekend doesn’t define the season,” Pulikidas said. “We’ve got a lot of games left, and every experience like this is a chance to grow.”
San Diego will continue its homestand next Friday against College Park, looking to bounce back in front of the home crowd.