Spurs at Clippers Previews

[duncan228]

San Antonio (11-9) at Los Angeles (9-12)
Game info: 9:30 pm EST Sun Dec 13, 2009
TV: NBATV, FSPT
By Kate Hedlin

The San Antonio Spurs haven’t played well away from home this season, but their upcoming road trip may give them the opportunity to turn their record outside the AT&T Center around.

The Spurs try to win their 13th straight over the Los Angeles Clippers when the teams meet Sunday night at Staples Center.

San Antonio (11-9) played 14 of its first 20 games at home, not going on the road for more than two games in a single trip. The Spurs, who are 1-5 away from home, will face two teams with losing records during this three-game stretch, including the Clippers (9-12), whom they’ve beaten 12 straight times.

San Antonio will also face Golden State, which has the worst record in the Pacific Division. In between, it will take on Phoenix.

“If we come back here and build on that, we’ll feel good about ourselves,” forward Tim Duncan said. “Those are some very winnable games for us.”

The Spurs have struggled offensively on the road, scoring 95 points or fewer four times, but they are coming off their best shooting game of the season in a 104-85 win over Charlotte on Friday. San Antonio shot 59.1 percent and went 10 of 17 from 3-point range.

Manu Ginobili scored 22 points - 20 in the first half - while Duncan had 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

It was the second consecutive win for San Antonio after three straight losses. Richard Jefferson has played a big factor in the two victories, averaging 20.0 points while shooting 60.7 percent after scoring a total of 23 points while shooting 35.7 percent during the losing streak.

Jefferson has averaged 22.5 points in his last four games against the Clippers.

Los Angeles continues its six-game homestand after splitting the first four. The Clippers, averaging 89.3 points over those four contests, lost 97-86 to Orlando on Tuesday.

Eric Gordon scored 21 and Baron Davis had 18 points and 11 assists.

Chris Kaman, who leads Los Angeles with 18.7 points per game, finished with 16 on 8-for-22 shooting. He’s averaging 12.5 points and shooting 35.6 percent over the last four games.

“Obviously the big difference in the game was shooting ability,” coach Mike Dunleavy said. “They shot the ball really well and made us pay for our mistakes.”

The Clippers have beaten just two teams with winning records, going 2-7. After Sunday, though, their next four opponents have losing records.

Despite the defeat on Tuesday, Los Angeles still has won five of eight. During that stretch, the Clippers are yielding 90.9 points and forcing 16.4 turnovers per game.

They’ll look to carry over that defensive effort into Sunday. In the four losses last season to the Spurs, Los Angeles allowed 102.3 points per game.

San Antonio has outscored the Clippers by 14.6 points during the 12-game win streak.

Los Angeles’ last win against the Spurs was 98-85 at Staples Center on March 3, 2006.

*********************

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Tim Duncan SA 18.9
Chris Kaman LAC 18.7

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 10.6
Marcus Camby LAC 11.0

Assists
Tony Parker SA 6.2
Baron Davis LAC 7.0

[duncan228]

Sunday: Spurs (11-9) at Clippers (9-12)

Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV: FSNSW, NBATV
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - CLIPPERS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 9th yr) - 10 Eric Gordon (6-3, 2nd yr)
Twenty-one assists in past two games for pass-first Parker.

SG - 10 Keith Bogans (6-5, 7th yr) - 1 Baron Davis (6-3, 11th yr)
Davis’ second season with Clips more peaceful than first — so far.

SF - 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 9th yr) - 12 Al Thornton (6-8, 3rd yr)
Don’t look now, but Jefferson appears to be slipping into a groove.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 13th yr) - 23 Marcus Camby (6-11, 14th yr)
Had trade talks gone differently, Camby could be in silver and black.

C - 34 Antonio McDyess (6-10, 15th yr) - 35 Chris Kaman (7-0, 8th yr)
At 18.7 ppg, Kaman an early favorite for Comeback Player of Year.

SPURS RESERVES

15 Matt Bonner, C/F, 6-10, 6th yr
45 DeJuan Blair, F, 6-7, 1st yr
8 Roger Mason Jr., G, 6-5, 6th yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 8th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G/F, 6-5, 2nd yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 2nd yr
42 Theo Ratliff, C, 6-10, 15th yr

CLIPPERS RESERVES

45 Rasual Butler, F, 6-7, 8th yr
25 Mardy Collins, G, 6-6, 4th yr
31 Ricky Davis, G/F, 6-7, 12th yr
9 DeAndre Jordan, C, 6-11, 2nd yr
20 Steve Novak, F, 6-10, 4th yr
5 Craig Smith, F, 6-7, 4th yr
3 Sebastian Telfair, G, 6-0, 6th yr

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Clippers: Mike Dunleavy

INJURIES

Spurs: Michael Finley (sprained left ankle) is out.
Clippers: Blake Griffin (stress fracture of left patella) and Kareem Rush (torn right ACL) are out.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Ian Mahinmi, Marcus Haislip, Finley
Clippers: Griffin, Rush, Brian Skinner

NOTABLE

Spurs head to Hollywood looking for first win outside state of Texas. They are 1-5 on the road, with lone victory coming at Houston. ... Spurs have won 20 of 22 against Clippers, including 12 in a row. ... This marks Spurs’ third consecutive game against a sub-.500 team. ... Spurs have topped 100 points in eight of 11 victories.

— Jeff McDonald

[duncan228]

Up next for Clippers: Sunday vs. San Antonio
Spurs will try to defeat the Clippers for the 13th straight time.

Record vs. Spurs (2008-09): 0-4.

Update: The Spurs have shown in recent history that a poor start rarely hinders the rest of their season. That included 12-8 starts in the 1999 and 2002-03 seasons that eventually resulted in NBA championships. Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy suspects a similar turnaround will happen this season for San Antonio, which is 1-5 on the road. "They're a very experienced, high-IQ group of guys," he said of the Spurs. Dunleavy would know -- San Antonio has defeated the Clippers in 12 consecutive games.

-- Mark Medina

*********************

After the Clippers film session and walk through today, Dunleavy said he instructed starting point guard Baron Davis, who had an upset stomach despite taking antibiotics, to sit out the rest of practice.

Asked whether Davis would play against San Antonio, Dunleavy said, "I think so."

Dunleavy declined to share any contingency plans in case Davis' illness would result in him sitting out or at least having decreased minutes.

"It depends on how he feels and if he feels like he has enough energy to play," Dunleavy said of Davis, who is third on the team in scoring with an average of 16 points per game. "A lot of times, guys who don't feel well play a great game."

[justinandimcool]

And I will be in attendance for my first Spurs game!

[duncan228]

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS vs. SAN ANTONIO SPURS

CLIPPERS - SPURS NOTES

* CONNECTIONS: Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy played for the Spurs during the 1982-83 season and averaged 7.8 points in 79 games...Dunleavy appeared in 11 playoff games with the Spurs in 1982-83, averaging 5.5 points and 4.5 assists.

* The Clippers have now lost 12 in a row against San Antonio, last defeating the Spurs on March 7, 2006 in a 98-85 win at STAPLES Center...The Clippers have lost 20 of their last 22 games against the Spurs dating back to Dec. 1, 2003, and are 5-40 vs. the Spurs since the 1997-98 season.

* The Clippers last won in San Antonio on Jan. 31, 2002 in a 91-87 win over the Spurs, a span of 12 games.

2008-09 HIGHLIGHTS: March 27, 2009 - Reuniting Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili for the first time since the All-Star break, the Spurs celebrated with a 111- 98 romp...Parker had 18 and Ginobili had 14 and Duncan had 13...Clippers guard Mike Taylor, starting in place of an ill Baron Davis, scored 23 points...Marcus Camby sprained his ankle early in the first quarter. The Clippers trailed by 20 in the first quarter, 24 in the second and 27 in the third...Michael Finley had 11 points and Matt Bonner had 10 for the Spurs...March 2, 2009 - The Spurs defeated the Clippers 106-78...Tony Parker had 26 points and 10 assists for San Antonio, which pulled away in the third quarter with four 3-pointers from Michael Finley...The Spurs had 28 assists and just eight turnovers against the Clippers...Tim Duncan had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists...Finley and Matt Bonner each had 14 points... Al Thornton and Fred Jones each had 14 points for the Clippers...The Clippers got as close as 16 points on Baron Davis' layup with 6:48 remaining, but Parker responded with a 17- footer, a three-point play and a 3-point shot to help seal the victory...Jan. 8, 2009 - The Spurs beat the Clippers 106-84 in San Antonio...Tony Parker scored 19 points...Los Angeles was outscored 31-15 by the Spurs in the fourth quarter and 63-40 in the second half...Roger Mason added 18 points for the Spurs...Michael Finley had 15 and Manu Ginobili 13 off the bench....The Clippers got 21 points each from Eric Gordon and Al Thornton...Mardy Collins added 16...Nov. 17, 2009 - The Clippers lost to the Spurs at STAPLES Center on a last second shot made by Roger Mason...Mason made a 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining...the Spurs shot 44 percent to the Clippers’ 41 percent, but Los Angeles out-rebounded San Antonio 47-36. The Spurs committed 16 turnovers and the Clippers committed 13.

* Clippers forward Ricky Davis swatted a career-high 3 blocks Jan. 18, 2004 vs. San Antonio.

* Clippers forward Al Thornton scored 25 pts and had six rebounds in 43 minutes on Dec. 22, 2007 at San Antonio.

* Spurs forward Tim Duncan recorded the 19th 20-20 game of his career on Dec. 13, 2005, finishing with 27 pts and 22 rebs against the Clippers, also hitting a pair of foul shots with 12 seconds left tying the score at 84-84 and sending the game into overtime, with the Spurs pulling out a 95-87 win.

* Spurs guard/forward Michael Finley posted 21 pts and a season-high 10 rebs on Dec. 13, 2005 in a Spurs win...Finley lit the Clippers up for 38 pts on Dec. 10, 2003...Spurs guard Manu Ginobili played a career-high 50 minutes April 9, 2005 against the Clippers, finished the game with 40 points and 9 assists....Spurs guard Tony Parker dished for a career-high 15 assists Dec. 8, 2006 vs. the Clippers...Parker became the youngest player in Spurs history on Oct. 30, 2001 when he made his NBA debut against the Clippers at 19 years, 166 days of age...Parker scored 25 pts, including the game-winning lay-up with 7.8 seconds remaining vs. the Clippers on Jan. 19, 2005.

CLIPPERS MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

* DUNLEAVY MOVES PAST HOLZMAN WITH 1,301TH GAME: Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy coached his 1,301th game on Dec. 8, 2009 vs. Orlando, moving past Hall of Famer Red Holzman into 15th place in NBA history for most games coached...Dunleavy became the 21st coach in NBA history to win 600 games on Nov. 29, 2009...Dunleavy’s 600 victories places him eighth among active coaches in the league today for wins, trailing only Don Nelson, Jerry Sloan, Larry Brown, Phil Jackson, George Karl, Rick Adelman and Gregg Popovich...Dunleavy now trails Doug Moe (628) for 20th most wins of all-time and 39 victories to surpass Chuck Daly (638)...The Clippers 97-86 loss to Orlando on Dec. 8, 2009 was the 700th loss of Dunleavy’s career, the 10th most in NBA history....Of the 10 coaches in NBA history that have ac ulated 700 or more losses, five have coached the Clippers at one time.

* The Orlando Magic nailed 14 three-pointers on Dec. 8, 2009 against the Clippers, a Clippers opponent season-high...It was the most three-pointers made against Los Angeles since the Magic made 16 on Feb. 4, 2009...The Magic’s 14 three’sis the second-highest total ever made against the Clippers...On Dec. 8, the Clippers attempted 34 three-pointers, the most since New York launched 33 three’s on Feb. 11, 2009...It was the 16th time in Clippers history that an opponent has attempted over 30 three-pointers in a game...

* BUTLER BREAKS A THREE SLUMP: Clippers guard Rasual Butler made a three-pointer on Dec. 8, 2009, going 1-of-5 from behind the arc and finishing with 10 points...It was the first three-pointer Butler had made since Nov. 20, 2009 - a span of six games that saw him go 0-for-10 in those contests...Butler is shooting a careerlow 26.8 (22-of-82) from three-point land this season.

* BARON’S STREAK ENDS: Clippers point guard had his streak of 24 straight made free throws come to an end with 10:56 remaining in the third quarter on Dec. 8, 2009 vs. Orlando...It was the first miss from the foul line for Davis since Nov. 18, 2009 when he missed a free throw in the third quarter vs. Memphis.

* KAMAN NO SHOW AT THE LINE: For the second time in the last three games, Clippers center Chris Kaman did not attempt a foul shot on Dec. 8, 2009 vs. Orlando... It is the second time this season that Kaman has not attempted a free throw. Against the Magic, Kaman went 8-of-22 from the field but was not sent to the line...In the last three games, Kaman has shot 49 field goals and attempted a total of just six free throws, which all occured in the Dec. 5, 2009 win over Indiana.

* CAMBY KEEPS IT COMING: Marcus Camby continued his solid play in 2009-10, grabbing 13 rebounds on Dec. 8, 2009 vs. Orlando...It was the fourth straight game that Camby has grabbed double-digits in rebounding...In his past seven games, Camby is averaging 15.8 rebounds and 10.2 points...Camby grabbed 21 rebounds Nov. 25 in Indiana, the first time this season that Camby has had 20+ rebounds and the 34th time of Camby’s career that he has reached 20 or more rebounds...The last time Camby had 20+ rebounds was on Jan. 4, 2009 vs. Detroit....Camby’s 21 rebounds was the highest rebound total by a member of the Clippers since DeAndre Jordan had 20 boards on Jan. 25, 2009.

* The Orlando Magic had a Clippers opponent season-high 10 blocks on Dec. 8, 2009...It was the most blocks against the Clippers since March 17, 2009 when Golden State also swatted 10 L.A. shots.

* In his last four games, Clippers center Chris Kaman has struggled, shooting 35.5 percent (21-of-59) from the field, averaging 12.5 points and 9.0 rebounds.

* KEY MATCH-UP - BARON DAVIS VS. TONY PARKER: Dating back to 2001, Clippers point guard Baron Davis has squared off against San Antonio point guard Tony Parker 15 times in his NBA career, with Parker’s Spurs owning a 12-3 record...Davis has struggled with his shot against Parker and the Spurs, shooting just 36.3 percent from the field (7.5-14.1) while averaging 17.5 points, 6.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds...In those games, Parker is shooting 53.6 percent (6.3-17.5) from the field and averaging 19.5 points, 7.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds...The last time a Baron Davis led team beat Parker’s Spurs was on Jan. 7, 2008 when the Warriors won 130- 121...Davis had 34 points and 14 assists in the Warriors win, while Parker dropped 31 points and dished for eight assists.

* CLIPS HIT FROM DEEP: The Clippers made six three-pointers on Dec. 8, 2009 vs. Orlando, the most three-pointers Los Angeles has made in a game since Nov. 20, 2009 - a span of six games - when they made a season-high seven three’s....From Nov. 23 - Dec. 5, the Clippers were 15-of-75 (20 percent) from three-point land, the lowest percentage in the NBA during that stretch...

[duncan228]

And I will be in attendance for my first Spurs game!

Congrats. My first Spurs game was at the Clippers in March. There's a ton of Spurs fans there. Have a blast.

[Dice]

I hope they play as well as they have been with half the turnovers.

I'm personally going to enjoy the Duncan/Dice vs. Kaman/Camby matchup.

[024]

And I will be in attendance for my first Spurs game!

me too! this is the only time of the year a LA team plays the spurs and me being home from college at the same time. i'll be rooting for the spurs but if these two teams met in the playoffs, i'll have to go for the clippers since i am born and raised in LA and liking the lakers isn't an option currently.

[Ditty]

Clippers got a really talented team once they get it together and everyone is healthy then can be good but I think Mike Dunlevy time has come and this should be his last year if they dont make it to the playoffs

I like the camby was almost in silver and black I wonder if spurs may give another run at the deadline this year if we continue to struggle

[Bukefal]

And I will be in attendance for my first Spurs game!

me too! this is the only time of the year a LA team plays the spurs and me being home from college at the same time. i'll be rooting for the spurs but if these two teams met in the playoffs, i'll have to go for the clippers since i am born and raised in LA and liking the lakers isn't an option currently.

Cool, maybe you could take some pictures and add them here?


Anyway, we are going to win this one. I hope a little less turnovers and a bit more points. Looking forward to the game!!

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Sun. Dec 13
San Antonio @ L.A. Clippers: Bavetta; Mark Ayotte; Tony Brothers

[duncan228]

Sunday Morning Shootaround
SportingNews

Road wins at a premium for Spurs

The Spurs are only a couple of games over .500, and though the team has started slowly in previous seasons only to rebound with a strong finish, one issue for this year’s group is its performance on the road—San Antonio is just 1-5 away from home. The Spurs have a chance to change that starting today, as they head out on a three-game road trip, with games against the Clippers (today) and the Warriors (Wednesday), with a game against the Suns in between. And, the shots are starting to fall again for Spurs guard Manu Ginobili—he’s scored at least 20 points in the last two games, his best offensive production since returning from a groin injury at the end of November.

[duncan228]

Clippers vs. San Antonio - Game Preview
by Steve Perrin
Clips Nation

The Back Story:

First meeting of the season. San Antonio swept the season series last year (and the year before that, and the year before that).

The Big Picture:

I can barely remember the last time the Clippers played. I seem to recall that they played well for long stretches against Orlando, but an all too familiar fourth quarter meltdown spelled their demise. San Antonio may not have Orlando's record right now, but they're still an elite team, and the Clippers will have to play well all the way to the end of the game to win it. The long layoff has been tough on fans eager to see some basketball, but it's been good for Eric Gordon's hamstring. Hopefully he's fully recovered and ready to go tonight. He'll need some help from his teammates - the Spurs aren't the kind of team you beat based on one player's spectacular performance. It will take an overall team effort. History is not on our side. The Clippers have lost 12 straight to San Antonio, and 20 out of 21. But maybe it's OK - LA broke a 13 game losing streak to the Pistons earlier this year, so maybe this is the year to end long losing streaks. Or maybe not.

The Antagonist:

What's wrong with the Spurs? They're a mere 11-9. Much more of a concern is that they've compiled that record with a very home heavy schedule so far. They've played only 6 road games all year, and they've only won one of those. No team in the NBA - no New Jersey, not Minnesota, nobody - has fewer road wins than the Spurs this season. So again I ask, what's wrong? It would not seem to be Tim Duncan. He's scoring and rebounding about the same as ever, and his shooting percentage is through the roof, better than it's been in 11 seasons. However, almost everyone else on the team is down. Tony Parker's scoring is off (though that would seem to be simply a matter of him taking fewer shots). Manu Ginobili is shooting below 40%, a career low. Meanwhile, Richard Jefferson, acquired this summer to give them a boost of athleticism, is scoring fewer point than in any season since he was a rookie. Of course, any of those guys could turn it on at any moment, and I certainly wouldn't be surprised if they all suddenly get all better against the Clippers. 12 game winning streaks don't be just happen.

The Subplots:

• Matchups. The Clippers don't have a clear advantage anywhere on the floor other than Eric Gordon against Keith Bogans, and that won't last as they'll bring Ginobili before long. Baron Davis has to hold his own with Tony Parker, despite the fact that Parker is a difficult cover for BD. Al Thornton has to break even with Richard Jefferson. Maybe Marcus Camby can win the hustle categories against Antonio McDyess. And then Kaman just can't get beaten too badly by Duncan. There. That's all that has to happen. It's a simple as that.

• Finley hurt. Michael Finley twisted his ankle a couple of games ago and will miss this game.

• Roger Mason Jr. Early last season, when the Clippers were consistently being destroyed by little known players, Roger Mason made a three pointer in the final seconds to give San Antonio the win. That was a tough one.

• Road wins versus home losses. One of the measures sometimes used to even out the discrepancy between home games and road games when comparing two teams early in the season is to compare road wins to home losses. If you have more road wins, you're an above .500 team. If you have more home losses, you're a below .500 team. The Spurs have only the one road win, against four road losses. That's not good, and indicates a poor team. Of course, by the same metric the Clippers are 3-7 - also not a good record. But the Clippers are home for this one, and the good news is that the Spurs have been terrible on the road this season.

• Long layoff. After four days off, don't be surprised if the Clippers come out flat in the first quarter. I asked MDsr what he thought of the long layoff and he said he hated it. Obviously he's much rather have a day or two between every game, rather than this craziness with four full days off followed by back to back games. But what can you do?

• Movie Quote:

There are two kinds of spurs, my friend. Those that come in by the door; those that come in by the window.

Tuco, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). The quintessential spaghetti western.

[spurspokesman]

And I will be in attendance for my first Spurs game!

Congrats. Have fun. Nothing like seeing your team live