Spurs vs. Clippers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
The Los Angeles Clippers downed the San Antonio Spurs by 24 points back on Nov. 5, and they followed up that effort by besting them to the tune of a 106-101 win at Staples Center on Thursday evening.
The Clippers (22-8) have now won two in a row, while the Spurs (23-6) watched their five-game winning streak come to an end with the loss.
Chris Paul was superb with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 23 minutes, but he was forced to exit midway through the third quarter with a left hamstring strain, according to the Orange County Register's Dan Woike.
To put those numbers in perspective, San Antonio's starting backcourt of Tony Parker and Danny Green combined for 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
However, the Clippers were able to overcome Paul's absence because Marreese Speights (14 points, seven rebounds, five assists), Jamal Crawford (11 points), Wesley Johnson (eight points, nine rebounds) and Raymond Felton (13 points) all chimed in with solid contributions off the bench in crunch time.
The Spurs countered with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks from Kawhi Leonard, but he didn't have enough help on a night when the Clippers opened up a sizable edge in the first half.
Paul and DeAndre Jordan (11 points, nine rebounds) were at the center of attention from the outset, and their seamless connections put the home team in the driver's seat early and often.
L.A.'s floor general was a wizard with the ball in his hands, and his ability to dictate the flow of the offense while carving up Parker and Patty Mills allowed the Clippers to work into a steady rhythm, as the San Antonio Express-News' Jabari Young observed:
Paul was on triple-double watch with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists by halftime, and one of those dimes allowed Jordan to flaunt his midair acrobatic skills.
In the first quarter, Paul fed his springy pick-and-roll partner with a smooth pocket bounce pass that gave Jordan room to rise and elevate for a vicious slam over Pau Gasol:
Another big Paul-to-Jordan connection cropped up just before halftime, when Paul lofted up a fadeaway—but in this case we'll call it a strategic high-arcing feed—that found Jordan's waiting hands for a no-look reverse jam:
Despite some serious shooting woes, the Spurs were able to hang within 12 at the break thanks to 17 first-half points from Leonard.
CBS Sports' Matt Moore took note of how Leonard changes the complexion of the Spurs' efforts:
"Leonard’s MVP case continues to improve. Parker’s nifty, the rest of the Spurs are solid, but without Leonard this team would be meh
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) December 23, 2016"
Still within striking distance at the start of the third quarter, the Spurs started to claw back thanks to second-chance scoring opportunities punctuated by Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge, as well as some outrageous defense from Leonard, as shown by the NBA on Twitter:
San Antonio cut the deficit to eight through three quarters with Paul back in the locker room, and the Clippers offense entered uncharted territory without a true conductor available to run the show.
As nerve-wracking as the situation may have been, the Clippers showed some serious resolve against one of the league's most intimidating teams even though they were forced to operate without Paul for the entire fourth quarter.
Looking ahead, the Clippers will be hoping Paul's injury isn't serious enough to sideline him for an extended stretch.
Blake Griffin is already slated to miss four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, and losing Paul simultaneously would crush the momentum the Clips have built over the first two months of the season.
For the time being, the Clippers will have to hope Paul can recuperate quickly.
A matchup with the Dallas Mavericks looms on Friday, and a Christmas Day date with the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in the battle for Hollywood is set for Sunday as the Clips hope to keep their winning streak alive as 2017 approaches.
Meanwhile, the Spurs will be pressed back into action on the road Friday night when they travel north for a meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers.
If they can get back on track and avoid their third road loss of the season, the Spurs will have a chance to string together back-to-back wins when the Chicago Bulls come to town on Christmas.
Postgame Reaction
After the win, Johnson spoke to reporters about how his side was able to hold off a Spurs team that had regularly dispatched opponents on the road this season, according to the NBA's Twitter account:
As for Paul, head coach Doc Rivers told reporters his starting point guard is day-to-day, according to Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver.
"I don’t think it’s bad, but I don’t think you really know with a hamstring until the next day," Rivers added, per Clippers.com's Rowan Kavner.
Paul also eased concerns when he addressed the subject of his hamstring tweak after the win.
"I'm OK," he said, per Woike. "I'm glad I caught it when I did....Wes and them didn't need me."
Speaking of future availability, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich confirmed Gasol and Parker will both sit out Friday night against Portland to rest in advance of Sunday's clash with the Bulls, per the San Antonio Express-News' Tom Orsborn.
