Spurs Update

Friday March 9th the Spurs hosted the LA Clippers for the third time this compacted season. I was pumped-up for the game, until I heard the news that Tony Parker's quad contusion he sustained during the Knicks game was gonna keep him out of this one.

Well what can I do about it.. We've got Manu now, and we should be OK. The Clippers STILL haven't won at the AT&T Center yet (Its construction was finished before the 2002-2003 season). That's 17-straight..


Source (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

So Gary Neal started at PG. He got quickly involved with Timmy in the pick n roll, and Manu was in quickly as well. But the Clippers showed they were ready to hit the three. Matt Bonner & Kawhi Leonard responded with some of their own. After 1 Q, it was 34-33, SA. Our defense looked sketchy, and not 5 minutes into the 2nd-Q, we were down 9, 50-41. Mo Williams and Manu would alternate threes a few times, and then a cold-stretch would render us quickly behind by 13 - just before scoring a quick 5 in the last minute to trail by only 8 at the half (64-56).

Coming back out, we hung tough and came within 4 (70-66), until 4 straight Clippers' FTs (74-66). Then we would pull ahead twice briefly, but both occasions were abruptly answered by either Mo Williams or Chris Paul - both of them already having great games, and then some. Approaching the end of the 3rd-Q, the Clips made their last 7 shots to lead 94-90 going into the 4th.

Defenses would dominate during the first 4 minutes of the last Q, but we took the lead 97-96 with 7:56 remaining. The game has suddenly gotten very exciting, as the crowd has seriously come to life. This was magnified further by two straight incredible threes from Manu that countered 2 Clips buckets of their own, and we were tied 103-103, with 5:20 left.

As quickly as it got tense, Mo Williams changed everything by hitting two straight threes of his own. Suddenly we were down 109-103 .. Timeout. Rj would convert on a drive, but then a Blake Griffin dunk, and a Randy Foye layup would put us down by 8 with 2 minutes to go. And the way the pace of the game was, it seemed we started to panic wayy tooo early, as a bad shot selection was followed by a turnover, which was followed by another bad shot.
Source (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Duncan has been doing his thing well: Making sweet moves in the low post, and even getting few nice dunks. He drew several trips to the line in crunch time (which is Tony's signature when we're behind). But Timmy missed 8 of 11 FTs in this game, and as a team we shot 20 of 32. These are free shots, guys.

Anyway a Foye three and 4 more FTs was all they needed. Then again we were in foul mode for more than two minutes. It didn't seem right. Spurs LOSE 120-108.

Chris Paul had 36 & 11 asst., Mo Williams had 33, including 7 of 9 from three. We were again out-rebounded (41-35), and while we shot 12 of 30 longballs, the Clippers hit 14 of 27. Amazing. Manu had 22, followed by Neal, Duncan, Green, and Kawhi all in double-figures. The Clippers are (and have been) right on our heels, but we don't see them again, and we take the season series 2-1. Here's the boxscore.

Next up is the Wizards Monday in San Antonio.