SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs used a 40 point third quarter to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-107 at the AT&T Center on Tuesday night for their third straight victory.
The game was the second test for the injury depleted Spurs, who are still without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker as well as big man Joffrey Lavergne. The Silver and Black had four players in double figures as they took the first of three season meetings.
Below is what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: Danny Green, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Gay.
The Good:
- The Spurs finished with a season-high 33 assists in the game, proving the ‘beautiful game’ still exists in Head Coach Gregg Popovich’s system.
- San Antonio finished 15-for-28 (53 percent) from three-point range.
- The Silver and Black outscored Los Angeles 40-21 in the third quarter, seeming to find a solution to their recent woes in the period.
- Rudy Gay is a beast
The Bad:
- San Antonio’s defense continues to be a work in progress. The Spurs gave up 107 points to Los Angeles overall and 55 in the first half. San Antonio has given up 100-plus points in five of their last seven games.
Standout Players:
Danny Green: The Spurs guard finished with a season-high 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting for 53 percent, including going 4-for-6 from three-point range. Green continues to show he put in work over the summer, not just being a stop up shooter.
Green went into the paint, hit shots in transition, and held Wes Johnson in check throughout the game on the defensive end of the ball. If Green can become a consistent scoring threat for the Spurs, it will make San Antonio even more dangerous once they have their full team together.
LaMarcus Aldridge: The Spurs big man led the Silver and Black with 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting and showed no fear in going up against Clippers big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
Aldridge and Pau Gasol combined for 44 points as San Antonio’s starting frontline outscored Los Angeles’ 44-26. Aldridge banged with Jordan and Griffin in the paint and had his outside shot working as well. The 32-year-old went 2-for-3 from three point range and found open men for the shot, reminding fans of Spurs legend Tim Duncan.
Rudy Gay: The newest Spur gave fans a preview of how lethal he can be in the playoffs for the Spurs. Gay matched his jersey number with 22 points, including 10 in the third quarter. The forward showed confidence by pulling up for open threes, slashing his way to the paint, and working well with Aldridge on the floor.
Imagine Gay, Aldridge, and Green playing this well when Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker return? The Spurs could possibly do something special if that indeed does happen.
Up next: The Spurs are now 7-4 on the season and will return to the court on Friday night when they welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to the AT&T Center at 8 p.m.
