Spurs at Clippers
The San Antonio Spurs are red-hot entering the postseason and their
hopes of making another title run begin Sunday when they visit the
third-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the opening game of the first-round
Western Conference series. Defending champion San Antonio won 11
consecutive contests before losing its regular-season finale against New
Orleans and plummeting to the No. 6 seed.
Los Angeles also finished the season with a torrid stretch by winning its final seven games and 14 of its last 15. The two teams squared off in the second round of the 2012 postseason and San Antonio swept the four-game series, and Clippers players like center DeAndre Jordan haven’t forgotten that feeling. “They know what it takes to win a championship and they know how to turn it on,” Jordan told reporters. “For us to be a championship team, we have to be that way and better, especially against a team that’s been together so long.” The Spurs are in the playoffs for the 18th consecutive season and have won five NBA titles.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE SPURS (55-27): San Antonio’s impressive finishing charge included winning 21 of their final 25 games as the club transitioned to small forward Kawhi Leonard serving as the centerpiece of the offense. The 23-year-old Leonard was NBA Finals MVP last season so he’s certainly up to the task and displayed that by averaging 19.3 points over the final 24 contests. The veteran core of power forward Tim Duncan, point guard Tony Parker and reserve shooting guard Manu Ginobili are well accustomed to handling the postseason pressure while remaining productive players.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (56-26): Los Angeles was hoping to avoid the Spurs in the first round but the tightly packed West was a revolving door over the final few weeks and it ended up with these two squads squaring off. “They’re the champs until somebody knocks them off,” shooting guard Jamal Crawford told reporters. “Nobody’s going to get to the Finals without going through the Spurs. All roads lead through them anyway.” Crawford’s tender calf muscle is healing but the Clippers haven’t missed his production with starter J.J. Redick (franchise-record 200 3-pointers) playing so well.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams split four regular-season meetings with each recording one road win.
2. Clippers PG Chris Paul averaged 19.8 points and 10 assists against the Spurs in the regular-season series.
3. Spurs C Tiago Splitter (calf) is probable after missing the final six games of the regular season.