NBA: San Antonio Spurs 125 LA Clippers 118 recap and analysis

After 3 straight losses, San Antonio needed to rebound and they were at home on monday night to face the Clippers, a team they absolutely demolished in last year playoffs. This was also the return of Tony Parker, the Spurs PG, who missed the last 5 games with an hamstring injury.
The game started in a certain Popovich way, as the Spurs head coach took a time-out just 50 seconds into the game after a J.J. Redick three. The 1st quarter was an offensive showdown, as Redick scored 15 of his 21 in that period with 3 threes. But the entire Spurs squad played well this 1st quarter, as Parker and Duncan sparked them and the bench players did their job, highlighted by Ginobili and Boris Diaw : the score was close after the 1st, 35-33 in favor of the Spurs. But PG Parker started his show in the 2nd period, as he drained some mid range jumper : he scored 19 in the 1st half, as the french guy shot a superb 80% from te field. His ability to penetrate was so useful for the San Antonio ball movement, as the Spurs shared so much the ball in the 1st half, with 20 assists of 30 buckets. When you shared as well the ball, well your % goes up and that’s exactly what happen, as the Spurs as a team shot an amazing 75% from the floor, in route to a 72pt 1st half and a 12pt lead over the Clippers, who were not so bad on offense but they cannot do anything on defense against the effectiveness of the champs. A pair of late 3’s by Redick and by Paul made this one a much close game at the half.
Doc Rivers and his team came back very well out of the locker room, as they did a superb job to not give up on the amazing efficiency of the Spurs in the 1st half. PF Blake Griffin had just 8 in the 1st but he responded well with 10 in the 3rd, as the Clips stormed to to get back in this game. Chris Paul elevated is game to play at the level of Parker and the Los Angeles bench carried the team at the end of the quarter, as Crawford and Farmar made some importants buckets. A 3 pointer by SG Reggie Bullock at the end of the 3rd made this one a 5 point game, as the Clippers won the quarter by 7. But Manu Ginobili took the game by himself in the 4th, as he dished out 5 assists in the quarter, and he get all his partners involve. SG Jamal Crawford tied the game at 102 with just over 8min to play, but Parker came right back at the Clips with a 3 on the next possession. San Antonio closed out the game on a 13-4 game, and they get a much needed wi against one of the best team in the West, 125 to 118.
I give my MVP to the Spurs french connection, as Parker and Diaw combined for 49 points. They shots 20/29 and they were the key for the Spurs, as we can also say that PF Tim Duncan scored 21 and grabbed 12 boards, but most important, the former Wake Forest guy passed Pacers legend Reggie Miller for 17th on the all time NBA scoring list, so congrats to « Mr Fondamental » and all the Spurs.

With the collaboration of Alan Guillou