Spurs vs. Clippers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
Not even the return of Chris Paul could rescue the Los Angeles Clippers from the second half of a back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
San Antonio used an extended 26-7 run in the third and fourth quarters to handle Los Angeles 105-97 at Staples Center. The Clippers won the first two matchups against the Spurs this season but dropped to 35-23 after losing to the top two teams in the league on back-to-back days.
San Antonio is now 44-13 and used a balanced attack featuring Kawhi Leonard's scoring and double-doubles from LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol:
| Kawhi Leonard | 21 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 7-of-16 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | 15 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 5-of-15 |
| Pau Gasol | 17 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 5-of-7 |
| Tony Parker | 17 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5-of-12 |
| Patty Mills | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5-of-10 |
The big men (Dewayne Dedmon chipped in 12 rebounds and four blocks) helped the Spurs out-rebound Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and the Clippers 51-36, which spoiled Paul's first game back from a torn thumb ligament since Jan. 16.
The trio led the way for Los Angeles in the losing effort, although Austin Rivers kept the game close off the bench for extended stretches:
| Chris Paul | 17 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 6-of-14 |
| Blake Griffin | 29 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 9-of-17 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 14 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 7-of-9 |
| Austin Rivers | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8-of-14 |
San Antonio leads the league in defensive rating (101 points allowed per 100 possessions), per NBA.com, and it showed why in the first quarter by holding the Clippers to 13 points on an abysmal 27.3 percent shooting from the field.
However, the Spurs offense sputtered and countered with 18 points and seven turnovers. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News called the first quarter "the exact opposite of the All-Star Game."
Rivers added some All-Star flare in the second and poured in 13 points in the first seven minutes of the quarter, six of which came on back-to-back threes that gave his team the lead.
The Spurs' one-man kryptonite went to the bench, and they turned a 35-29 deficit into a 47-42 halftime advantage with an 18-7 run. Gasol hit multiple threes during the stretch, and San Antonio turned it over just once in the quarter.
Los Angeles' crowd wasn't pleased with Gasol's shooting, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN noted:
The Clippers answered in the third as only they do with a lob from Griffin to Jordan:
The assist wasn't Griffin's biggest play of the quarter, as he drew Leonard's fifth foul and sent the Spurs superstar to the bench. San Antonio reverted back to turnover mode without its primary weapon, and Los Angeles took advantage and pushed the lead to nine with Paul throwing lobs and directing the offense.
Sam Vecenie of Sporting News praised the point guard:
The veteran Spurs certainly weren't going to fold, and Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills spearheaded an 18-5 run to build a 77-73 lead heading into the fourth. San Antonio deserved credit, but Paul Garcia of Project Spurs highlighted the primary reason for the switch of momentum:
Paul returned, but Tony Parker picked his pocket and scored on the other end to give San Antonio its first double-digit lead of the game.
Griffin displayed his physical toughness by absorbing a blow from Dedmon that caused him to bleed to still lead Los Angeles' comeback efforts.
But the Clippers couldn't climb closer than six during the majority of the fourth, and multiple wide-open misses from J.J. Redick from deep crushed the home team's momentum. The lead was double digits for the final few minutes until the closing seconds, which Garcia noted was business as usual:
San Antonio finished the win and created more separation between itself and the rest of the non-Warriors West contenders.
Postgame Reaction
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times noted Clippers head coach Doc Rivers wasn't happy with his squad's execution on the offensive end in the key test against a strong Spurs team.
"We played on one side of the floor for most of the night tonight," Rivers said. "[Our offense] was tough to watch because you could see us out of rhythm, out of sync."
While most of the attention was on Paul's return, the Spurs also welcomed back an importance piece of their upcoming playoff run: Gasol. Nick Moyle of the San Antonio Express-News relayed the veteran big man's comments about the prep work that allowed him to put up a double-double in his return.
"For the most part, [I conditioned] as much as I could," Gasol said. "It's nothing like playing a game at the end of the day, because of the adrenaline and every other factor that goes into it. But I worked really, really hard to be in a good place."
Meanwhile, Leonard is hoping the high-profile victory is the latest sign the Spurs are starting to play their best basketball at the right time, according to the Associated Press (via Fox Sports).
"We're coming down to our last 20 games," he said. "This is the time we need to jell as a team, make our playoff push, make our weaknesses strong."
What's Next?
The Spurs remain in Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Sunday. It is a solid recipe for another win considering they beat L.A. by 40 in January.
The Clippers host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday and just beat them by five Feb. 11 before the All-Star break.
