![]() The Clippers deserve a lot of respect for winning a seventh game on the road. This single comparison tells you why San Antonio will win this series. Compare that to Duncan who had two in a four-game set, one of which he came out early when the game was in hand. So how many double-digit rebound games did he have in a seven-game series against Memphis? One. Yes, he can win you a game when’s focused, both rebounding and scoring. Which brings us to the biggest variable of all and that’s Griffin. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, when hitting on all cylinders and can win you a big game. What the Clippers do have-something that most 5-seeds don’t (think Atlanta) is real star power. San Antonio has a lot going for them-they have homecourt, they have rest, they have players with championship experience and that takes a lot to overcome in the playoffs. They need to take that one game and spread it out for an entire series against San Antonio. They got quality bench minutes, they narrowly outrebounded Memphis and they held their opponent to 33 percent shooting. LA’s Game 7 win on Sunday was ugly, but for a road team in the playoffs it was finally the game where they did a lot of what needs to be done. Los Angeles turned the ball over too frequently, with four of seven games 16 or higher, which can feed a Spurs strength, that of taking care of the ball. Furthermore, if San Antonio was beaten on the glass by Utah, Los Angeles was positively pummeled by Memphis, losing rebounding from Games 2 thru 6 by margins ranging from decisive to outrageous. While that’s not lights-out, it suggests a defense that’s okay-good enough to win a first-round series, but not do any damage against the big boys. Memphis consistently shot in the mid-40s. The bigger reason a high percentage shooting series is possible for the favorite is that Los Angeles spent six games playing defense that was substandard for the playoffs. If you get an experienced team working the ball and their best shooter back into rhythm, another high-percentage series is very possible. ![]() The flip side of this is that, while I generally don’t think a team should plan on shooting 50 percent or so from the floor in any game, much less than the playoffs, San Antonio turned in their good offensive performances in spite of Manu Ginobli, a very good pure outside shooter, not playing well the first three games. Duncan’s numbers were down here in the road games, but the bigger issue is that Splitter or Boris Diaw down low needs to grab a few more off the bench. The Jazz won the battle of the boards three times in four games and San Antonio’s one win was by a single rebound. What Utah did do well in the first round, and what Los Angeles has to take note of, is rebound the ball. And a team that shot at least 48 percent in each of the first three games against Utah is clearly getting quality shots. Because the team is so deep, none of the players gets enough minutes to compile eye-popping stats, but San Antonio always has fresh legs to play defense, hit the boards and get quality shots. They have a center in Tiago Splitter, whose minutes have been cut in the playoffs as Duncan’s need for rest isn’t the same, but Splitter can rebound and block shots. ![]() The Spurs are getting quality minutes from players like Stephen Jackson, Daniel Green, Boris Diaw and Kawhi Leonard. The disparity in togetherness is more about praising San Antonio than knocking Los Angeles. It could happen, but this neglects the obvious disparities that exist in the way these teams play together. While Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are getting more court time than they did in the regular season, the fact remains that if you just look at the Spurs’ roster you will be underwhelmed, you’ll compare it to Clippers’ lineup that has Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and see an upset in the making. The Spurs-Clippers will be the last of the second-round series to get underway tonight down in the shadows of the Riverwalk and the Alamo, and TheSportsNotebook previews the series…ĭepth has been San Antonio’s calling card all year long and that remains the case in the playoffs. ![]() The Los Angeles Clippers finally joined the Spurs in the bracket this past Sunday when they won Game 7 in Memphis. The San Antonio Spurs have been waiting and resting for their second-round series since dispensing with Utah in a four-game sweep.
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