http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,4889892.story
Clippers, finally, get the best of Spurs, 90-85
Blake Griffin's latest monster effort (31 points, 13 rebounds) helps the Clippers end an 18-game losing streak to San Antonio.
By Lisa Dillman
Nobody beats the Clippers 19 times in a row.
You have to remember Blake Griffin was only on hand and on the scene for two of their 18 straight losses to the San Antonio Spurs.
Just call him the streak-buster. And bust it he did.
Dunk by explosive dunk.
Griffin had 31 points and 13 rebounds and four assists in the Clippers' 90-85 victory over the Spurs on Wednesday night at Staples Center. It was their first win against the Spurs since March 7, 2006.
Three of the Clippers' four wins have come against powers in the Western Conference — Oklahoma City, New Orleans and now the Spurs, who had come here with the league's best record, losing just twice before Wednesday. The Clippers are now 4-15.
That was the major plot line. But there were so many more subplots.
First, the return of the missing point guard Baron Davis.
As in missing from the lineup for the last month, save for a brief 10-minute appearance in New Orleans on Nov. 9. He had played in the opening three games of the season before suc bing to injuries.
Davis, who was sidelined because of a swollen left knee, looked sharp and had that extra bounce in his step, which was immediately noticeable. Not only did he have 10 assists and seven points in 23 minutes off the bench, but he also made nearly everyone noticeably better.
Griffin, who was named the league's Western Conference rookie of the month, was the leading example, making 14 of 21 shots.
"It's great to have him back," Griffin said of Davis in his on-court TV interview. "He makes it easier for all of us."
For Griffin, it was his 12th double-double in 19 games this season and sixth in a row. He had his usual array of devastating dunks including an especially sweet reverse dunk in the second half.
"My teammates did a great job of just finding me in the right places," Griffin said. "It just makes it easy on me. I had so many easy buckets tonight because of my teammates.
Said Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro: "He's just going to get better. At times he can do things that are easy for him that other people can't do."
And, in some ways, it was more impressive than his 44-point showing against the New York Knicks. Well, the Spurs aren't exactly the Knicks, meaning there was some semblance of defense.
"That's his game — to be over you," said guard Eric Gordon, who had 21 points. "It's hard for any defender to come at him. They are a good defensive team and he hit a lot of tough shots."
Not only did Griffin make shots under tight pressure, but he also hit a bank shot when he was falling backward, having slipped on the court. Gordon was impressed by the shots not destined for the highlight reel.
"All the dunking, that was pretty good. But I like some of his low-post moves," Gordon said. "I like seeing that more than his highlights."
As for Griffin, he expanded upon the return of Davis and what it meant in the larger sense for the Clippers.
"I think he showed everybody how talented he is. Some people tend to forget," Griffin said. "Just the way he gets into the lane and finds people. He can get into the lane and almost make a circle around the entire half court and still have the ball, still have his dribble and still be looking for people at the same time.
"Baron is an All-Star because of what he does. He still has it. He can still find us like that. Just the energy he brings. Not having him hurt."
Etc.
The Clippers' long injury list has been whittled down to two — guard Randy Foye and center Chris Kaman.
And the way it is looking, Kaman may be back in action before Foye, who is dealing with a strained left hamstring and suffered a setback when he returned to the lineup recently.
Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler missed the game when he was caught in a traffic jam on Interstate 10, commuting from his home in La Quinta. Traffic was brought to a standstill for hours because of a fatal accident near the Cabazon area.
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