Paul helps Clippers defeat Spurs
SAN ANTONIO -- Chris Paul hit for 19 points and led six Los Angeles players in double-figure scoring as the Clippers strolled past San Antonio Spurs 98-87 on Saturday as the AT&T Center and stayed in the hunt for a better position in the postseason.
It was the final home game of the regular season for the Spurs (61-19), who already clinched the second seed in the Western Conference in the playoffs as well as the second-best record in the league.
San Antonio finishes with contests on the road against Portland on Monday and Utah on Wednesday.
Los Angeles (49-31) is still battling with Utah for home-court advantage in their first-round playoff series. If the teams are tied at the end of the regular season, Los Angeles owns the tiebreaker.
The Clippers' final two games are at home versus Houston on Monday and Sacramento on Wednesday.
Blake Griffin added 18 points for Los Angeles, which has won five straight games and took the season series with the Spurs 3-1.
DeAndre Jordan recorded 17 points and 17 rebounds, Jamal Crawford scored 12 points off the bench and J.J. Redick and Luc Mbah a Moute tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with 28 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 18. Pau Gasol contributed 15 points off the bench and Dewayne Dedmon grabbed 10 rebounds for San Antonio.
Aldridge had 10 points to lead the Spurs in a crisply played, relatively clean and even first quarter that saw San Antonio forge a 23-22 lead. Each team had one turnover in the period and just six total fouls were committed.
The Clippers trailed 40-39 after an Aldridge left-handed hook at the 4:29 mark of the second quarter but then caught fire, outscoring San Antonio 13-3 to lead 52-43 at halftime. Paul had six points in the surge.
Aldridge led all scorers with 14 points at intermission while Paul and Jordan each hit for 13 points in the first half for Los Angeles. Jordan also had 10 rebounds in the half as the Clippers didn't commit a turnover in the second quarter (and had just one in the first 24 minutes). San Antonio was also careful with the ball, with only two turnovers at halftime.
San Antonio cut the Clippers' lead to 68-66 on a Manu Ginobili 3-pointer at the 4:01 mark of the third quarter but Los Angeles again responded, running off 14 of the game's ensuing 18 points to establish an 82-70 advantage heading to the final quarter. Leonard scored 15 of the Spurs' 27 points in the period but it wasn't enough to counter Los Angeles' overall balance.
NOTES: The Spurs were without Gs Danny Green (left quad contusion) and Dejounte Murray (left groin) while G Austin Rivers (strained left hamstring) and C Diamond Stone (left knee soreness) did not suit out for Los Angeles. ... G Tony Parker became the youngest player to appear in a game for San Antonio when he suited up Oct. 30, 2001 versus the Clippers. The 19-year-old Frenchman had nine points and three assists in his NBA debut. ... Clippers C DeAndre Jordan scored a career-high 26 points against San Antonio on Feb. 29, 2015 at Staples Center. ... The Spurs scored 163 points vs. the (then San Diego) Clippers in a 163-125 win on Nov. 8, 1978, the most points ever scored by San Antonio in regulation in an NBA game.