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The Los Angeles Clippers fared far better on Sunday in Game 4 than in their prior outing, owning the fourth quarter en route to a 114-105 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center. The Clippers' win evens the opening-round playoff series at two games apiece.
Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com passed along the reactions from L.A. coach Doc Rivers and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich following the game:
San Antonio seems to rise to the occasion just when its team is counted out as "too old" or is underestimated for some other unfathomable reason. Sunday's Game 4 had the makings of another Spurs statement, the type of stand a defending NBA champion makes.
But the Clippers had other plans.
Superstar L.A. point guard Chris Paul's lethal mid-range shooting allowed him to lead all scorers with 34 points. Teammate Blake Griffin had a stupendous all-around game, posting 20 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists.
The NBA on ESPN pointed out some historical significance following the Clippers' win and recorded what commentator Jeff Van Gundy had to say about Paul and Griffin taking charge:
CBSSports.com's Matt Moore referenced how legendary forward Tim Duncan and Co. usually capitalize when they have opponents where they want them:
That's what makes L.A.'s landmark triumph even more impressive, not to mention Paul's performance, which came despite picking up his fifth foul at the 8:25 mark in the final quarter.
A couple of reserves played significant roles for both sides. While Jamal Crawford continued to struggle at times, Austin Rivers was fantastic for the Clippers, as NBATV's Tas Melas observed:
Rivers put up 16 points in 17 minutes, while San Antonio spark plug Patty Mills poured in 14 points off the bench.
NBA.com Stats noted his impressive performance, while Sports Synergy Tech highlighted how great Rivers played:
RealGM.com logged the high praise Paul had for Rivers afterward:
The game was a back-and-forth affair through the first three quarters. The two teams were tied at 25-25 to end the first period, and they went into the locker rooms with the Clippers up by just four points, 51-47.
With the game tight down the stretch of the third quarter, Popovich opted to intentionally foul opposing center DeAndre Jordan several times. The frustrating strategy saw Jordan miss all four free throws, but Paul willed himself to the line for six successful attempts once Jordan was subbed out.
Designed to be a tactic to get under the Clippers' skin, L.A. responded with Jordan off the floor and executed better to snag an 81-76 lead entering the final 12 minutes.
Darren Abate/Associated Press
The Spurs mounted an 8-0 rally in the fourth quarter after seeing Rivers and Paul continue to hurt them. Kawhi Leonard backed up his big Game 3 to lead the Spurs with 26 points.
But then it was Crawford's turn, and he converted a sweet layup to make it 95-88 with 6:54 remaining.
Not enough shots fell for San Antonio in the fourth until it was too late—in part a testament to the quality of defense Los Angeles played in what was essentially a must-win game.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne did well to describe the Clippers' sense of urgency and intensity:
Clippers guard J.J. Redick, who scored 17 points on Sunday, had some prescient words leading up to Game 4.
"You don't get extra points for blowing a team out," said Redick, per the Los Angeles Times' Melissa Rohlin. "It's one game. We could turn it around. We had a chance to win Game 2. These series can swing. If we can figure something out offensively, we can get some momentum in this series."
On the heels of a 100-73 loss, many dismissed the Clippers and their chances to even remain competitive in the first-round series against the Spurs. The pressure has been on Paul to perform at a higher level in the playoffs, which added another sweet layer to L.A.'s win Sunday.
Of course, the series isn't over. It took some deep digging for Los Angeles to recover from a demoralizing Game 3. Although the next contest will be back at Staples Center, San Antonio has the clear edge in experience and could well bounce back and seize the momentum again.
At least for now, the Clippers can feel confident that they have the goods to knock out the Spurs. It will take two similar, extraordinary collective efforts for L.A. to get it done.
