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Recap: Spurs 102, Clippers 99
Line Movements
Date: May 20, 2012 10:30 PM EDT
  

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs mowed down another opponent, using their guile under pressure to close out another perfect playoff series.

Tim Duncan scored 21 points, Tony Parker added 17 and the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 102-99 on Sunday night to win their second-round matchup 4-0 and advance to the Western Conference finals.

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``They played great, they made it tough on us,' Parker said. ``The last 2 minutes we got the stops we needed. Everybody did something.'

The Spurs extended their winning streak to 18 games and their playoff record to 8-0, tying the third-best postseason streak in franchise history.

``Until we go all the way, I can't compare this team,' said Parker, who has won three NBA titles with the Spurs. ``We're just trying to stay focused.'

Danny Green and Gary Neal added 14 points each, and Manu Ginobili and Thiago Splitter had 11 each.

``We needed a game like that. It arrived at the perfect time,' Parker said. ``We battled. We executed our plays, made big baskets.'

San Antonio could find out as soon as Monday night who it will play next. Oklahoma City leads the Lakers 3-1 in their series, with Game 5 on Monday.

``We haven't done anything yet. We've won two rounds,' Duncan said. ``We haven't done anything so you can't qualify or classify our team as anything other than that we've gotten this far.'

The Spurs trailed much of the fourth until tying the game twice in the final 3:32 before their 30-something trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili took over most of the scoring.

``Their experience showed with their execution,' Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro. ``Tim looks great and the rest of the guys are feeding off that.'

Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists, Blake Griffin added 21 points, and Eric Bledsoe had 17 for the Clippers, who blew a six-point lead in the fourth quarter when Paul faltered in the final two minutes, usually a time when the All-Star guard is at his best.

``We had our opportunities and we couldn't convert,' Del Negro said. ``We made our mistakes at some key moments and that was the difference.'

Both nursing injuries, Griffin and Paul combined to score 21 of the Clippers' 28 points in the third quarter when they took their first lead of the game. In the fourth, Bledsoe came up big, scoring 11 in a row, to extend the lead to 90-85 with 5:38 remaining.

After Reggie Evans missed two free throws, Green hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 92.

Duncan's hook put the Spurs in front 96-94 before Paul tossed up a one-handed shot that rose to the top of the backboard before dropping straight in as he crashed into a baseline photographer. He made the free throw to put the Clippers ahead by one.

Parker scored consecutive baskets and the Spurs regained the lead, 100-97, with 1:47 left.

Paul's two free throws drew the Clippers within one. After a timeout, Paul drove the basket and lost the ball. He fouled Green, who made the first and missed the second to keep the Spurs ahead for good.

``I messed up, bad decisions,' Paul said, holding his 2-year-old son on his lap. ``I should have shot it and I missed the shot, all on me.'

Paul then missed another shot, and Mo Williams fouled Parker, who missed the first and made the second with a second left.

``To let my team down in that situation is probably the toughest part of the season,' Paul said. ``We scrapped, we played hard. At the end of the day, playing hard isn't always enough. You got to execute. On that last play, at least we could have gotten a shot off and I turned the ball over.'

DeAndre Jordan added 10 points. Paul had best performance of the series after sub-par efforts in the first two games. He'd been playing with a strained right hip, while Griffin has a sprained right knee, an injured left hip and got stitches for a cut lip in the first half.

Neither team led by more than five points in the third period. Duncan had 10 points for the Spurs. Bledsoe's putback slam dunk gave the Clippers 75-74 lead going into the fourth.

The Spurs stretched their lead to 12 points with Duncan sitting out the opening 7 minutes of the second quarter.

The Clippers closed on a 14-6 run to trail 51-47 at halftime. Paul got it started with a 19-foot jumper and ended it with a 3-pointer. Early in the spurt, Griffin ran into Ginobili's shoulder, fell and one of his top teeth went through his lip. He left the court with 2:20 remaining to get two stitches on the inside and outside of his lip.

Los Angeles began the game on a 9-4 run before San Antonio scored 14 unanswered points, reminiscent of its 24-0 third-quarter spurt Saturday that led to the Spurs' eventual 10-point victory in Game 3.

Notes: Duncan, Parker and Ginobili played in their 130th postseason game together, the most played as an active trio in the league. ... Duncan finished with nine rebounds, just short of notching his 135th career playoff double-double. ... The Clippers have lost all seven of their playoff series after losing Game 1. ... The Spurs had a 40-36 edge on the boards, while the Clippers outscored them in the paint, 56-50.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2013
The Associated Press
All Rights Reserved

 SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Clippers at Spurs
Tue, May 15 Final 92 to 108
 Recaps
GAME 2
Clippers at Spurs
Thu, May 17 Final 88 to 105
 Recaps
GAME 3
Spurs at Clippers
Sat, May 19 Final 96 to 86
 Recaps
GAME 4
Spurs at Clippers
Sun, May 20 Final 102 to 99
 Recaps

 CLOSING LAS VEGAS LINE
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 SAS  -350   -7.5   192.5 
 LAC  +290   +7.5   
LAS VEGAS LINE MOVEMENTS

 CLOSING SPORTSBOOK LINE
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 SAS  -350   -7.5   193 
 LAC  +290   +7.5   
OFFSHORE LINE MOVEMENTS

 BETTING TRENDS
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 SAS  22%   53%   61% 
 LAC  78%   47%   39% 
BT MOVEMENTS

 NBA HEAD TO HEAD
 May 19, 2012  Score  ATS Results 
  SAS « 96 Cover: 5 
  LAC 86 Under: 182 
 Tools:   Recaps
 May 17, 2012  Score  ATS Results 
  LAC 88 Under: 193 
  SAS « 105 Cover: 6.5 
 Tools:   Recaps
 May 15, 2012  Score  ATS Results 
  LAC 92 Over: 200 
  SAS « 108 Cover: 4.5 
 Tools:   Recaps

 NBA RECAPS
 Sunday, May 20
 
  •  Heat at Pacers
3:30 PM EDT
  •  Spurs at Clippers
10:30 PM EDT
 
 
 
  
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