AFTER an eight-day layoff, the San Antonio Spurs finally got to host the other half of the Western Conference's playoffs semifinal Tuesday night at the AT@T Center in San Antonio.
The extended rest did not yield rust. On the contrary, it provided fresher legs and extra energy as the eager for action hosts ran the visiting Los Angeles Clippers out of their building with 108-92 victory in Game 1 of their best-of-7 series.
The Spurs, who swept the Utah Jazz 4-0 in Round 1, got another turn-back-the-clock effort from their 36-year old team captain Tim Duncan, who finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Duncan gutted the Clippers' interior defense with 12-for-20 shooting.
Duncan got ample help -- 22 from Manu Ginobili, 16 from Kawhi Leonard and 15 from Danny Green. Tony Parker managed just secen points, but he ran the Spurs offense efficiently with 11 assists.
Unlike the well-rested Spurs, the Clippers went the full route against the Memphis Grizzlies with Game 7 played barely 48 hours prior to their trip to San Antonio.
The fatigue and nicks and bruises from the grueling Memphis showdown didn't show early on as the Clippers hung around with the Spurs 29-29 ater one quarter and down only 57-49 at halftime.
But the second half told another tale. The Spurs kept running, kept attacking the basket, and tightened the screws on defense. And it didn't take long for the gassed and banged up Clippers to fall apart, trailing 83-64 following a pair of Ginobili free throws in the final 1:54 of the third quarter.
The Spurs connected 39-of-80 field goals (48.8 percent), 13-of-25 threes (52 percent) and 17-of-21 free throws (81 percent). They badly outrebounded the Clips, 47-34 and won the assists battle, 29-19.
The Clippers didn't shoot miserably, but they were nearly as productive and effective as the Spurs -- -- 37-of-83 (44.6 percent) field goals, 9-of-19 threes (47.4 percent) and a low 9-of-13 free throws (69.2 percent).
Eric Bledsoe paced the Clippers with 23 points but Blake Griffin only had 15 points and 9 rebounds. Point guard Chris, their man spark, struggled with only six points on 3-for-13 shooting. Paul also had five turnovers against 10 assists. (Homer D. Sayson)
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