The San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 111-107 in Game 2 of their Western Conference first round playoff series. Tim Duncan had a team-high 28 points and 10 rebounds. Blake Griffin finished with a game-high 29 points along with 12 rebounds and 11 assists for the Clippers. It was Griffin’s first postseason triple-double and the second in Clippers franchise history in the postseason.
Duncan became the fifth player in NBA history to score 5,000 postseason points. He had his second consecutive double-double in the series.
The Spurs had a much better opening quarter than in Game 1. Tim Duncan made his first four shots and had 8 points in the first quarter. He made the same amount of shots in the first quarter as he did in all of Game 1. The Spurs shot 55 percent in the opening quarter and held a 28-24 lead.
Duncan finished with 16 points in the first half. Blake Griffin had 19 points at the half. Outside of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Clippers were a combined 8-for-30 from the field at halftime. Paul and Griffin scored or assisted on 41 of their 47 points. The Spurs were 9-for-14 from the free throw line while the Clippers only shot two free throws and made one.
In the third quarter, where the Clippers ran away in Game 1 with a 20-7 run, the Clippers did gain a 27-25 advantage. The Spurs earned a 10-point lead including a 14-3 run midway through the quarter, but the Clippers continued to respond. Patty Mills hit a three to end the quarter to put the Spurs up 87-84.
The first points of the fourth quarter were a three-ball from Danny Green, putting the Spurs up by six. Eventually the Spurs would gain another 10-point lead, but the Clippers again responded. The Spurs would employ their hack-a-Jordan strategy to turn it into a free throw game. At one point Jordan missed seven straight from the line (finished 6-for-17 on the night). Tony Parker left the game scoreless in the final quarter and was replaced by Patty Mills (18 points). Manu Ginobili fouled out of the game with 3:52 left.
Mills ill-advisedly fouled Chris Paul with under a minute left with the game tied 90-90. Paul made both free throws. After an empty possession from the Spurs, Blake Griffin turned the ball which led to Mills getting to the free throw line on the other end and knocking down two free throws to tie it at 92-92. Chris Paul missed the go-ahead shot at the end of regulation.
The Spurs made their first three shots and outscored the Clippers 17-13 in overtime. After a J.J. Redick three tied it at 101 with 2:31 left, Tim Duncan scored on a quick-hitter and Patty Mills scored on a leak out after a missed Matt Barnes three-pointer, putting the Clippers down by four. Blake Griffin committed another turnover the following possession which led to a wide open Kawhi Leonard layup out of a Spurs set. At 107-101 with under a minute left, the game was effectively out of reach. Chris Paul and J.J. Redick both hit threes to cut it back down to a one-possession game, but the Spurs closed it out from the free throw line.
This Game 2 victory keeps the Spurs from going down 2-0 for the first time ever in a first round series during the Duncan/Popovich era.
Game 3 of Clippers-Spurs will be on Friday at 9:30 PM EST on ESPN.
