Updated 10h 9m ago
The San Antonio Spurs were always going to come back. Pin a 22-point first-quarter deficit against most teams, against most coaches, and the win is in hand. The Los Angeles Clippers weren't that lucky.
The Spurs won 96-86 to take a 3-0 lead in the second-round Western Conference playoff series. They won because Gregg Popovich is a basketball genius and because his team buys into his theories, no matter how non-traditional. They won because Popovich spun circles around Vinny Del Negro, his former player and current coaching opponent.
To start the second quarter, Popovich set in motion the first stage of his comeback plan. The Spurs' first three field-goal attempts of the quarter were layups, two of which drew fouls after makes. San Antonio had been passive in the first quarter. That was done.
With 1 minute, 27 seconds remaining in the first half, Popovich set in motion the second stage. He had Gary Neal foul Clippers center DeAndre Jordan off ball. The Clippers were in the bonus, and the Spurs took advantage by sending their worst free-throw shooter to the line. Jordan missed a pair of free throws, and Spurs forward Boris Diaw followed with a three-pointer to cut the Clippers' lead to 50-42.
In the locker room, Popovich set in motion the final stage of his plan. Spurs star Tim Duncan, who had eight points in the first half, took the first three Spurs shots of the second half. He missed the first two but made the third, then assisted on an easy Danny Green layup for the Spurs' fourth shot. The floor was open, and the Spurs were gearing up for a 24-0 run that completed a the largest three-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history.
In a tense sideline interview with ABC's Lisa Salters after the first quarter, Popovich said "about 14 things" went wrong. All were solved by the end of another easy victory for the West's No. 1 seed.
More winners and losers from Saturday's early NBA action:
Winners
Duncan: He finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots while sparking the key Spurs rally. Sports Illustrated reporter Chris Ballard wrote in a feature story last week for the magazine, "Duncan hates Kevin Garnett. Hates him the way liberals hate Sean Hannity." Garnett, the Boston Celtics' 36-year-old, future Hall-of-Fame power forward, had been a star of the second round prior to posting a dud Friday. Has Duncan ever had a bad game? Advantage: the guy with four rings, not one. As always.
Blake Griffin: The Clippers forward had 14 points and five rebounds while shooting 7-for-8 in the first quarter. He finished with 28 and 15 on 13-for-24 shooting. Griffin's been playing with a sprained left knee, but he appeared to return to his dominant form for that first quarter. He was spinning, dunking, shooting and displaying the post moves that endeared him enough to fans that he was picked an All-Star Game starter in his second season. He even threw down on Duncan in the second quarter. He disappeared at times, but so did every Clipper. Griffin was the best player in white and red.
Tony Parker: Two days after his 30th birthday, the Spurs point guard had his highest-scoring game of this series, posting 23 points and 10 assists.
Salters: That interview with Popovich was harrowing, but she kept it together. She started the interview by asking, "What happened?" Popovich responded, "They played great." The look on his face responded, "Do not speak to me ever again." Salters brushed her shoulder off.
Staples Center crew: Two games, one day. Think about that.
Losers
Chris Paul: Playing with a strained hip flexor, the Clippers point guard has fumbled all season. He had eight assists in the first quarter but finished with 11 with 12 points on 5-for-17 shooting. He only got to the free-throw line twice. On one play, he drove to the basket, got an open look but appeared glued to the floor. He hesitated with two Spurs behind him, then tried a layup but was blocked.
Nick Young: First, he wore this. Then he shot 1-for-5 on three-pointers. He's a streaky shooter, but the Clippers need him to contribute off the bench.
The Spurs' bench: A lot of that first half can be pinned on Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal and Matt Bonner. Manu Ginobili was in for some of the comeback, but most of the work can be attributed to the starters. It's possible that Popovich saw what was happening and gave his starters a rest. But the group is generally better than that.
By Adi Joseph, USA TODAY
The San Antonio Spurs were always going to come back. Pin a 22-point first-quarter deficit against most teams, against most coaches, and the win is in hand. The Los Angeles Clippers weren't that lucky.
By Jayne Kamin-Oncea, US Presswire
To start the second quarter, Popovich set in motion the first stage of his comeback plan. The Spurs' first three field-goal attempts of the quarter were layups, two of which drew fouls after makes. San Antonio had been passive in the first quarter. That was done.
With 1 minute, 27 seconds remaining in the first half, Popovich set in motion the second stage. He had Gary Neal foul Clippers center DeAndre Jordan off ball. The Clippers were in the bonus, and the Spurs took advantage by sending their worst free-throw shooter to the line. Jordan missed a pair of free throws, and Spurs forward Boris Diaw followed with a three-pointer to cut the Clippers' lead to 50-42.
In the locker room, Popovich set in motion the final stage of his plan. Spurs star Tim Duncan, who had eight points in the first half, took the first three Spurs shots of the second half. He missed the first two but made the third, then assisted on an easy Danny Green layup for the Spurs' fourth shot. The floor was open, and the Spurs were gearing up for a 24-0 run that completed the largest three-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history.
In a tense sideline interview with ABC's Lisa Salters after the first quarter, Popovich said "about 14 things" went wrong. All were solved by the end of another easy victory for the West's No. 1 seed.
That interview with Popovich was harrowing, but she kept it together. She started the interview by asking, "What happened?" Popovich responded, "They played great." The look on his face responded, "Do not speak to me ever again." Salters brushed her shoulder off.
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