Clippers vs. Spurs: Game 6 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs
The Los Angeles Clippers staved off elimination for one more game, beating the San Antonio Spurs, 102-96, Thursday night at the AT&T Center to tie their first-round series at 3-3.
Blake Griffin and Chris Paul were both huge in the second half. All of Paul's seven made field goals came in the final two quarters, and he finished with 19 points and 15 assists. Griffin posted a double-double as well with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
The Spurs' biggest stars struggled mightily throughout. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili combined for 23 points, while Kawhi Leonard went 3-of-15 for 12 points. Marco Belinelli and Boris Diaw, meanwhile, made 15 of their 24 combined field-goal attempts for a total of 40 points.
The Cauldron's Andy Glockner felt that the continued back-and-forth nature of this series is comparable to an NBA Finals rather than a first-round clash:
As if winning a Game 6 on the road against the Spurs wasn't difficult enough for the Clippers, NBA on ESPN drew attention to how well San Antonio has performed under Gregg Popovich with a 3-2 series lead:
Griffin wasn't fazed by the daunting task, per Melissa Rohlin of the Los Angeles Times:
"It's a get-able game. It's not going to be easy by any means. I mean, this is what they do. They're a great team, a well-coached team, and they've been in this situation before.
But we've also been in tough situations. We've also played through some tough games, some games on the road that we needed to win, and we did. I expect us to be ready.
"
Before Game 6, the majority of fans likely felt the Spurs were firmly in control of this series. That doesn't look to be the case anymore, as the Spurs look increasingly old, and Popovich will have some serious questions to answer about his in-game decision-making.
The efficacy of the "Hack-a-Jordan" strategy has been discussed throughout the regular season and playoffs. Popovich hasn't hesitated to use the tactic against Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, and on Thursday, it arguably backfired.
The Spurs were looking very good in the first half and owned a 10-point lead, 45-35, in the second quarter. There was still a lot of basketball to be played, but it looked very likely that San Antonio was preparing to kick things into high gear similar to its 100-73 Game 3 victory.
But then Popovich decided to start fouling Jordan, and as a result, the Clippers closed the gap and went into halftime with the game tied at 51-51. Both the Los Angeles Times' Bill Plaschke and the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald felt that Jordan's foul shooting was helping to render the game plan ineffective:
Los Angeles was a bit lucky it was tied at the half considering not only how well the Spurs started the game but also because Paul and Griffin were a combined 3-of-15 from the field for 12 points to that point.
Another unintended consequence of the "Hack-a-Jordan" strategy was that the constant stoppages during the game allowed Paul and Griffin to take a few quick breathers. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has leaned heavily on those two, so any break they could get meant they could continue playing heavy minutes into the second half.
The Clippers began the third quarter very well, jumping out to a nine-point lead, 62-53, with a little under eight minutes remaining in the quarter. Joe Reinagel of KENS 5 lamented how poorly the Spurs closed the second quarter and started the third:
San Antonio eventually clawed its way back, and a three-pointer from Patty Mills with 1:13 left tied the game at 70-70. ESPN.com's Royce Young continues to be amazed at Mills' shooting form:
Los Angeles closed the third with a 76-72 lead, though, and for the entirety of the fourth quarter, the Spurs were playing from behind. ESPN's Amin Elhassan wondered whether Paul would have enough left in the tank to continue what had been a strong second half for the All-Star point guard:
If fatigue was in fact an issue for Paul, then he certainly wasn't showing it. He drilled a critical three-pointer that gave the Clippers an 85-78 lead with seven minutes left in the game. Kentucky Wildcats guard Tyler Ulis didn't see the Spurs finding any way to stop Paul, either:
San Antonio continued hanging around, but seemingly every time the Spurs flirted with retaking the lead, the Clippers did just enough to keep the reigning champions at bay.
A Belinelli three with 1:19 left got the Spurs to within three, and Leonard had a chance to tie the game on San Antonio's next possession. His shot was off the mark, but Belinelli once again put the Spurs in a great position after yet another late three got San Antonio to within two points, 98-96, inside the final 15 seconds.
Two free throws from Jamal Crawford put the game out of reach.
Much has been made about the Clippers' weak bench, and rightfully so. The team also announced that Glen Davis suffered a left ankle sprain, thus exacerbating the problem.
With that said, the Spurs' aging veterans aren't looking so good themselves. Without Belinelli's production, San Antonio might not have even been in the game at all in the fourth quarter.
Game 7 is pretty much a tossup. Los Angeles has home-court advantage for Saturday, but the road team has won the last three games in this series.
However, legacies will be at stake this weekend: Paul and his hollow playoff resume, Duncan and Popovich's pursuit of ring No. 6, Rivers' ability to lead a second team deep into the playoffs.
The storylines will be incredibly juicy in what is sure to be an instant classic.
