NBA PLAYOFF PICTURE

Clippers defeat Spurs 114-105 to even series at 2-2

The Sports Xchange

April 26, 2015 at 6:37 pm.

Apr 26, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (L) is defended by San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (R) in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

SAN ANTONIO — As it turns out, that pounding the San Antonio administered to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night was no sign that the Spurs had wrested control of their NBA playoff series.

Guard Chris Paul scored 34 points, and forward Blake Griffin added 20 along with 19 rebounds, as the Clippers defeated the Spurs 114-105 Sunday to even their Western Conference first-round series at 2-2.

That represented quite a turnaround from Friday. Griffin and Paul combined for only 21 points during a 100-73 defeat.

Griffin and Paul picked up seven assists each on Sunday. Guard J.J. Redick supplemented the two Clippers stars with 17 points. The Clippers received scoring help from a pair of reserve guards. Austin Rivers scored 16 — converting 7 of 8 from the field — and Jamal Crawford had 15. Rivers and Crawford scored five apiece early in the fourth quarter, when the Clippers forged ahead by 13 points.

Forward Kawhi Leonard led San Antonio with 26 points. Forward Tim Duncan produced 22 points and 14 rebounds, and guard Tony Parker scored 18. But Duncan and Parker missed four free throws apiece.

The Clippers trailed by one point late in the third quarter. Then Paul made six straight free throws and a jump shot during the final 2:14, staking the Clippers to an 81-76 at the end of the quarter.

The Clippers’ surge came after coach Doc Rivers removed center DeAndre Jordan (14 rebounds, 4 blocks), a poor free throw shooter, from the game. Jordan had just missed four straight, the second two after the Spurs fouled him intentionally.

Leonard did not let down after his career-best 32 points in Game 3 on Friday. He scored eight of the Spurs’ first 10 on Sunday. Parker matched Leonard’s eight points in the first quarter, which ended in a tie at 25-apiece.

Then Rivers took over with seven straight points early in the second quarter. The 6-foot-4 Rivers took advantage of a four-inch height advantage over Patty Mills, the Spurs’ guard assigned to check him.

That was a nice boost for the Clippers, whose reserves had scored a total of only 36 points in the first three games of the series — 100 fewer than the Spurs’ subs.

It was Paul and Redick, the starting guards, who assured the Clippers of a 51-47 halftime lead. Paul made a pair of 3-pointers during the final 3:10, and Redick hit a runner in the lane and two free throws during that stretch.

Paul and Griffin combined for nine of the Clippers’ 14 assists in the half. The team had only 14 in the entire Game 3.

Griffin became more of a shooter in the third quarter, converting 4 of 5 for 10 points before Paul took over late.

NOTES: How deep are the San Antonio Spurs? They won Game 3 of the series by 27 points despite F Tim Duncan, G Tony Parker and G Manu Ginobili combining for only 12, the fewest ever by the Spurs’ Big 3 in a playoff game. … Clippers’ G Chris Paul’s six turnovers and four assists in Game 3 marked the first time this season he had more turnovers than assists. … Clippers coach Doc Rivers said reserve F Hedo Turkoglu has an ankle problem. “Turk sprained his ankle or something the other day,” Rivers said. “I didn’t know a guy moving that slow could.” … Clippers F Matt Barnes on Spurs F Kawhi Leonard’s 32-point, three-steal performance in Game 3: “What didn’t he do?” Barnes said. “He guarded all of our best players, he made all his shots. He led their team and he killed us.” … Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Leonard’s work ethic enabled him to make a successful conversion from a college power forward who worked around the basket to an NBA small forward. But Popovich said assistant coaches Chip Engelland and Chad Forcier deserve credit as well. “They have really been masters of teaching him about the perimeter,” Popovich said.