The Sports Xchange
Dec 18, 2017
SAN ANTONIO -- LaMarcus Aldridge scored a workmanlike 19 points and Tony Parker added 16 as the San Antonio Spurs cruised to a 109-91 win over the injury-depleted Los Angeles Clippers on Monday at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio led by as many as 15 points in the first half before the Clippers finished the half with a 9-3 run to pull back to within 57-49 at intermission.
Los Angeles cut the San Antonio lead to 67-65 on a 3-pointer by Jamil Wilson with 5:33 to play in the third quarter but the Spurs responded by scoring 18 of the final 23 points in the period and taking an 85-70 advantage to the fourth quarter.
The Clippers never seriously challenged throughout the final 12 minutes and both teams emptied their benches over the final six minutes.
Manu Ginobili added 13 points, Rudy Gay hit for 12 and Patty Mills scored 11 for San Antonio while Pau Gasol took 11 rebounds to lead the Spurs (21-10).
Star San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard, who missed the first 27 games of the season with a quad injury, played his first home game of the season and scored seven points in almost 16 minutes, all in the first half.
Jamil Wilson and DeAndre Jordan scored 13 points each to lead the Clippers while Austin River hit for 12, Montrezl Harrell added 11 points, and Willie Reed scored 10. Jordan took 14 rebounds to record his fifth straight double-double.
The loss was the Clippers' third in a row after winning three straight games. Los Angeles played without forward Blake Griffin (left knee), guard Danilo Gallinari (left knee), and guard Lou Williams (right foot sprain).
Aldridge led the Spurs with 11 points in the first half while Parker added 10 points in 4 of 5 shooting over the first two quarters. The Spurs outshot Los Angeles 51.2 percent-48.8 percent in the first half.
Jordan paced Los Angeles with nine points and nine rebounds as all 10 players who saw the court for the Clippers scored at least two points.
NOTES: The Spurs played without G Danny Green (tightness, left groin) and G Kyle Anderson (left knee). ... Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (1,171) and Clippers coach Doc Rivers (815) rank first and second, respectively, in regular-season wins among all active coaches. Popovich (166) and Rivers (82) also lead all active coaches in postseason victories. ... Clippers C DeAndre Jordan recorded his NBA-best fifth game this season with 20-plus rebounds in their loss to Miami on Dec. 16. ... The Spurs sealed their 20th victory of the season against Dallas on Dec. 16. The win marked the 16th season San Antonio has had 20-plus wins in their first 30 games in the Gregg Popovich era. No other team in the NBA has more than eight in that time. ... When he took the opening tip against the Lakers on Oct. 19, Jordan became the first player in Clippers franchise history to play 10 seasons with the team.