FOURTH QUARTER:
A strong effort from LaMarcus Aldridge wasn't enough for the Spurs Sunday night. LMA put up a game-high 30 points and 14 rebounds. He also blocked 2 shots. However, only Rudy Gay (19 points) and Marco Belinelli (12 points) joined him in the double-digit scorer club.
For the Clippers, it was the Tobias Harris show. He scored 27 points and nearly had a triple-double with 9 assists and 9 rebounds.
The Clippers win ensures a split in the season series. The teams went 2-2 against each other in 2018-19.
Next up for the Spurs is a Wednesday road game against Philadelphia.
---
In spite of the nice passing here, the Spurs have mostly been off tonight. They have committed 17 turnovers, while notching just 20 assists. The Spurs average 12.2 turnovers per game, the fewest in the league.
---
What happened to the offense? For both teams? The Clippers scored 38 points in the first 12 minutes, but have scored 53 in the ensuing 30 minutes. The Spurs have also slowed down, and enter the final 6 minutes trailing by 10.
The Spurs are playing hard on defense, as Patty Mills showed here, but more shots need to go in. DeMar DeRozan is just 4 of 12 from the floor.
THIRD QUARTER:
After three, the Spurs trail 80-73.
Both teams cooled down offensively in the third quarter, battling to a 20-20 tie for the period. The Silver & Black got some nice contributions from their bench, especially in the long-range marksmanship department. Bertans and Belinelli have 4 of the Spurs 7 three pointers made.
---
The Spurs scored the first four points of the half, but the Clippers responded with five straight. The Spurs are protecting the rim with 6 blocks, but have also turned the ball over 10 times to the Clippers' 6 as the third quarter gets going.
SECOND QUARTER:
At halftime, the Spurs trail 60-53.
Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldride lead the Spurs with 13 and 10 points, respectively, at halftime. The Clippers' Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris have 15 and 14 points, respectively. Both teams are making at least 50 percent of their shots from the field and behind the arc.
---
After entering the second quarter with a large deficit, the Spurs haven't done much to chip away at it. Versatile Los Angeles wing Tobias Harris has 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting with 4 rebounds and 3 assists at the midway point of the second. No Spur has 10 points, but Marco Belinelli is close.
---
FIRST QUARTER:
After one, the Clippers lead 28-26.
A brutal stretch for the Spurs to end the quarter. With 3 minutes left in the frame, the Spurs trailed 25-24. When the buzzer sounded, it was 38-26 Clippers. The visiting team made 16 of their 24 shots.
---
Rudy Gay got off to a hot start, but the Clippers have been even hotter, shooting better than 64 percent from the floor in the first 10 minutes. What does a team need to do against that level of offense? Make shots and bear down on defense.
---
In what's becoming a bad habit for the Silver & Black, it was a slow start. Three turnovers in the first 5 minutes allowed the Clippers to take a 12-6 lead. Montrezl Harrell is doing the damage early, making all three of his shots and a free throw for 7 quick points.
---
Sunday night's meeting between the Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two teams. Though their campaigns are barely halfway done, you can trace the arc of both teams' runs through the season series.
The Clippers win on November 16 propelled them to a 9-5 record, while the Spurs dropped to 7-7 with the loss. The Spurs have beaten the Clippers twice since then, including their last meeting on December 30, when San Antonio improved to 20-17 and the Clippers fell to 21-15.
You see, the Clippers were in first place in the West at one point, and the Spurs were below .500 and out of the playoff picture. Now it's the Spurs (27-20) who are ahead of the Clippers (24-21).
San Antonio will have DeMar DeRozan back after he missed Friday's win over Minnesota. Los Angeles, meanwhile, may be without key players like Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central. Follow along with our Spurs team below.
