Spencer Hawes liked what he saw from Clippers in 105-85 win at San Antonio

Spencer Hawes

Spencer Hawes/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

The Clippers were 0-2 against defending NBA-champion San Antonio this season before they defeated the Spurs 105-85 on Saturday at AT&T Center in San Antonio. The Spurs won 89-85 Nov. 10 at Staples Center and 125-118 on Dec. 22 in San Antonio.

Spencer Hawes, who had 11 points in Saturday’s victory, talked post-game about emerging victorious in this most recent go-round.

“It felt good just to beat them after the last couple of games we’ve had against them,” Hawes said. “The (game) in L.A., I think we led for 46 or 47 minutes and they out-executed us down the stretch. Then, during the last one here (the Spurs) were shooting 80 percent in the first half or whatever it was. It was kind of a shootout to 120. It felt good to beat them, but to have a defensive game like we did tonight is something we can hang our hats on.”

The Clippers held the Spurs to 37.3 percent shooting from the field.

The Clippers (33-15) next play at Brooklyn (18-28) on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Spencer Hawes had a much-needed strong showing in win at San Antonio

Spencer Hawes

Spencer Hawes/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

Spencer Hawes has struggled of late offensively. In his previous three games before Saturday he had scored four, zero and zero points, respectively. But he had 11 points on 4 of 8 shooting Saturday and made 3 of 5 from 3-point range in a 105-85 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. It’s the kind of performance coach Doc Rivers is always looking for from Hawes, the 7-foot reserve post who has had some difficulty making the transition from starter to reserve since coming to the Clippers this season via free agency.
“He was fantastic tonight,” Rivers said post-game. “I was very happy for him because he’s been up and down, and he needed tonight. We used him a couple of different ways. That was great for him and gave him confidence. He’s going to help us and tonight he did.”
Hawes said being aggressive helped.
“That’s what my teammates and coaches are encouraging me to do,” he said. “I’m coming into a situation where I don’t want to ruffle any feathers. I think it’s better for everybody if I do play more aggressive like I did (Saturday).”

Hawes also had three rebounds and three steals in 24 minutes and 10 seconds of play.

Spencer Hawes, out past nine games, could return tonight against Utah Jazz

Spencer Hawes

Spencer Hawes/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

Backup post Spencer Hawes on Monday morning said he has been cleared by team doctors to play and he said he’s hopeful of getting into Monday night’s game against the visiting Utah Jazz.

Hawes sustained a bone bruise in his left knee in the Clippers’ loss at Washington on Dec. 12 and has missed the past nine games, during which the Clippers have gone 4-5.

“I hope so, yeah,” Hawes said, when asked if he would play Monday. “Everything there at this point is kind of just testing it out and seeing how it responds. Everything so far has been good. I feel it in certain things, but the big thing is there is no real threat of doing anything worse with where it’s at now.

“Now, it’s just keeping pushing it and seeing how it responds. But I’m very excited, obviously, to be able to get back out there.”

Hawes, a starter most of his eight-year career, is in his first season with the Clippers. He’s averaging 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds off the bench.

Five things to take from Clippers’ 107-104 loss Tuesday at Atlanta

DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan had 22 rebounds and four blocks in Tuesday’s loss at Atlanta/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

– With this defeat, the Clippers (19-10) are now just 4-7 against teams with winning records. That means that of their 19 victories, only four have come against teams with winning records.

– Once again the Clippers showed an inability to sustain solid play. They were ahead by 13 points not quite midway through the third quarter, only to lose by three points. A 16-point turn-around during winning time is not going to cut it against good teams like Atlanta.

– Jamal Crawford scored 18 points, but he shot just 5 of 19 from the field. Over his past three games he has shot 16 of 50, for just 32 percent. He was 6 of 20 from 3-point range during that time for a 30 percent clip.

– The Clippers have now lost three of four and five of their past eight games. Backup post Spencer Hawes sustained a knee injury during the first game of that losing run and has missed the past seven games entirely. Don’t think the Clippers don’t miss him. They do.

– DeAndre Jordan had another monster game. He scored 15 points, pulled down 22 rebounds and blocked four shots. His only blemish was shooting 1-for-4 from the free-throw line, but that’s almost expected. This month he is averaging 15.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. Over the past five games he’s averaging 17.2 rebounds and is now averaging a league-high 13.4.

San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker expected to start tonight against Clippers

Spencer Hawes

Spencer Hawes is expected to miss his sixth consecutive game tonight against the Spurs/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

Small forward Kawhi Leonard (hand) figures to miss his fourth consecutive game when his San Antonio Spurs host the Clippers tonight (Monday) at 5:30 (on Fox Sports West). However, according to a tweet by the Orange County Register’s Dan Woike,  point guard Tony Parker (hamstring) is expected to start after missing the previous five games with a hamstring injury.

Parker is the team’s leading scorer and assist man with respective averages of 16.0 and 5.3. Leonard is averaging 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Clippers backup post Spencer Hawes is expected to miss his sixth consecutive game with a bone bruise in his left knee.

The Clippers (19-8) reside in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. San Antonio, which has lost four in a row and six of seven, is 17-11 and in seventh in the West, 2 1/2 games behind the Clippers.

The teams met once before this season, with the Spurs coming away with an 89-85 victory Nov. 10 at Staples Center.

Clippers on Dec. 29 to host night that will support Children’s Hospital

Jordan Farmar

Jordan Farmar/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

The Clippers on Dec. 29 will host a “Dedicated Awareness Night” when they take on the Utah Jazz at Staples Center. It’s part of the Clippers and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles’ effort to raise funds for Children’s Hospital’s Helping Hands Fund, which uses the proceeds to support lifesaving care for every child treated, even if the child’s family can’t afford to pay the bill.

Clippers Jordan Farmar, Spencer Hawes and Chris Douglas-Roberts and broadcaster Ralph Lawler on Dec. 5 spent some time visiting patients at Children’s Hospital.
“For us to be able to come to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and spend some time with these kids, play some games, share some stories, exchange some laughs – especially around the holiday season – it makes it really special,” Farmar said.
Donations can be made by visiting www.chla.org/clippers or by participating in the team’s online auction at www.clippers.com.