Tag Archives: Manu Ginobili

Five things to take from Clippers’ 108-87 loss at San Antonio

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Jamal Crawford

 

– The Clippers’ bench was terrible in this game. Reserves scored just 20 points, compared to 51 by San Antonio’s. Jamal Crawford shot 1 of 9, Austin Rivers 1 of 5 as the bench shot just 6 of 22 from the field. That’s 27.2 percent.

– Chris Paul’s statistics show he had a good game, scoring a team-high 22 points on 9 of 16 shooting while doling out eight assists and making three steals. However, he scored just four of those points in the second half.

– One would have thought that since the Clippers trailed by just a point (71-70) after three quarters, they would have been in the game until the end. But once the Spurs really got rolling in the fourth quarter, there was nothing the Clippers could do to stop them. San Antonio outscored the Clippers 37-17 in the fourth.

– San Antonio’s Danny Green is having his worst season from 3-point range since his rookie campaign in 2009-10. Yet he made 4 of 5 from beyond the arc in this one. Even so, he’s still shooting just 33.9 from distance after shooting 41.8 percent a season ago. Green scored 12 big points.

– Speaking of San Antonio’s bench, it got 15 points and five rebounds and six assists from Patty Mills and 13 points and two assists from Manu Ginobili. They shot a combined 11 of 17 (64.7 percent).

Chris Paul talks about how Spurs ‘put a 37-point quarter on us’

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(AP Photo/Eric Gay). Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) drives around San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in San Antonio.

Chris Paul of the Clippers drives around San Antonio’s Tim Duncan in Tuesday night’s game in San Antonio, won 108-87 by the Spurs/AP photo by Eric Gay

 

Just think, the Clippers were down by one measly point (71-70) entering the fourth quarter of what had been a hotly contested game at San Antonio on Tuesday night. Then, boom, the Spurs exploded and before the Clippers knew it, they were on the wrong end of a 108-87 score. San Antonio (57-10) is now 33-0 at home.

Asked for an explanation, Chris Paul said a mouthful.

“They just did what they usually do at home,” he said. “They turned up the intensity, the pressure a little bit, and put a 37-point quarter on us.”

The Spurs outscored the Clippers 37-17 in the final 12 minutes.

Paul led the Clippers (42-24) with 22 points, eight assists and three steals. He talked about how it seemed like things got out of hand in a hurry in that final stanza.

“Pretty quick,” he said. “Jamal (Crawford) had a shot at the top of the key and it sort of went in and out to start the quarter. I think (Manu) Ginobili hit a 3 or something from the wing and they just started getting put-back after put-back, and it started to get away from us.”

Next up for the Clippers are the Houston Rockets (34-33) on Wednesday night in Houston.

 

 

 

Five things to take from Clippers’ 105-86 victory over the Spurs

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Chris Paul, left, gets up a shot over San Antonio’s David West during the Clippers’ 105-86 victory over San Antonio on Thursday/AP photo by Mark J. Terrill

 

– The Clippers (36-18) entered this game without a victory over a truly elite team. They were a collective 0-4 against the top three teams in the West – Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. So to beat the Spurs by 19 – even if it was the first game right out of the All-Star break – was a big deal. Yes, the Spurs (45-9) were without Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili. But the Clippers were minus Blake Griffin, Austin Rivers and Pablo Prigioni. That’s not to mention that Lance Stephenson was on his way to Memphis after being traded there for Jeff Green, who also was not available to the Clippers for this one.

– Chris Paul has been a beast, and was again. He scored a game-high 28 points, doled out 12 assists, grabbed five rebounds, made a steal and blocked a shot in 37 hard minutes. He had just two of the team’s 18 turnovers. Paul shot 9 of 18 and made all seven of his free throws.

– With Rivers and Prigioni both out, Jamal Crawford played some backup point guard. The results were a mixed bag. He came through with six assists to go along with his 19 points on 7 of 15 shooting. But he committed seven turnovers in 30 minutes.

– When LaMarcus Aldridge (3 of 12) and Tim Duncan (1 of 6) shoot a combined 4 of 18, it’s going to be difficult for the Spurs to beat a good team. Part of that was Clippers defense, part of it was just poor shooting.

– Cole Aldrich played 20 tough and successful minutes for the Clippers. The backup post scored eight points on 4 of 5 shooting, pulled down eight rebounds, doled out two assists and blocked three shots. Seriously, this young man plays hard. He doesn’t back down.

BONUS TAKE: How do you not acknowledge DeAndre Jordan? He scored just nine points. But he also grabbed 17 rebounds, made three steals and blocked two shots in 37 minutes.

Clippers’ J.J. Redick can’t say enough about Spurs after loss

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Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) loses the ball as he is pressured by San Antonio Spurs' Patty Mills (8) and Manu Ginobili (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Austin Rivers reaches for the ball between Spurs Patty Mills (8) and Manu Ginobili (20) during the Clippers’ loss at San Antonio on Friday/AP photo by Eric Gay

 

The Clippers had just lost a tough one 115-107 at San Antonio on Friday night, when Clippers guard J.J. Redick was asked to talk about what makes the Spurs a good team. He couldn’t say enough.

“What makes them good is they make the right play every time down the floor,” Redick said. “They don’t predetermine anything. They can all play. They know what the first, second, third option is. They’re going to exploit whatever way you’re hedging toward. They’re going to counter that and exploit it.”

Redick wasn’t done.

“Coaching accountability, personnel, talent. It’s all of it,” Redick said, elaborating on the Spurs making the right play. “They have great players, they have great coaching. They are the team that I would say most people aspire to get to.”

The Spurs are 23-5 and have the NBA’s second-best record behind Golden State (26-1).

The Clippers are 16-11.

 

 

San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili praises Clippers after they rout host Spurs by 20

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Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili/Photo courtesy of San Antonio Spurs, NBA.com

 

San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili did not have one of his better games Saturday when his team played host to the Clippers, who walloped the Spurs 105-85 at AT&T Center in San Antonio. Ginobili had just nine points on 2 of 7 shooting – 0 of 3 from 3-point range – and made just 5 of 10 from the free-throw line. But he had nothing but praise for the Clippers.

“It is always a combination,” Ginobili said. “It was a very poor game. They played much, much better than us in every aspect of the game. Boards, offense, defense and moving the ball. We were behind the whole game and we never had  a chance.”

The Clippers (33-15) next play Monday at Brooklyn (18-28).