SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs had five players in double figures as they earned a 109-91 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the AT&T Center on Monday night.
The win was the second straight for San Antonio, who also collected their tenth consecutive home victory. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way for the Spurs with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Tony Parker chipped in 16 points.
Meanwhile, DeAndre Jordan’s 13 points led the LA Clippers (11-18).
Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: Dejounte Murray, Manu Ginobili, and Rudy Gay.
The Good:
- The Spurs broke their trend of early game struggles. San Antonio opened Monday’s game by going up 19-7 and took a 31-17 lead into the second quarter.
- Kawhi Leonard made his regular season home debut, posting seven points, four rebounds, and one assist in 15 minutes.
- Patty Mills seems to find his form as he shot 4-of-6 and was 3-for-4 from three-point range, finishing with 11 points.
The Bad:
- San Antonio went away from all the things that got them a huge lead, allowing Los Angeles to climb back into the game. Poor shot selections and turnovers saw the Clippers trim the Spurs’ 17 point lead to five in the second half.
- Bryn Forbes started in place of the injured Danny Green, but he struggled. Forbes went 1-for-4 from the field and had just two points.
Three Standout Players:
Dejounte Murray: The second year guard once again gave the Spurs faithful a glimpse into his future, showing just how good he can be. Murray sparked the Spurs in the second half as he finished with nine points, four rebounds, and three assists.
The former Washington Husky also got Coach Pop to applaud his effort as went up for a rebound against Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell, forcing a jump ball. Murray’s effort had the AT&T Center, Spurs bench, and Pop applauding his effort on the floor. Give him another year or two and Murray could be a big deal for the Silver and Black.
Manu Ginobili: The Spurs fan favorite also was another Spurs spark in the first half, a main piece behind the solid start for the Silver and Black. Ginobili finished with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, three rebounds, and five assists.
Ginobili found Parker on a pretty bounce pass in the first half, dished out to Davis Bertans for a three at the top of the key in the second half, and even attacked the paint in typical Manu fashion. With Kawhi Leonard slowly coming back into the fold, it will be up to veteran players like Ginobili to help the Spurs stay consistent.
Rudy Gay: Once again, Rudy Gay showed why he was picked up over the summer by the Spurs. He scored 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting and had two three-pointers.
Gay may not be the explosive player he once was, but to have a natural born scorer like him with a fully healthy and in sync Spurs squad led by Aldridge and Leonard, the Silver and Black may surprise some people as we get ready to turn the calendar to 2018.
Up next:
The Spurs are now 21-10 on the season and will now hit the road for a three-game trip starting on Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers (16-14) at 9 p.m. at the Moda Center.
