Clippers top Spurs in a game that didn’t seem so important

Kawhi Leonard is averaging 20.2 points and 2.5 assists while LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 17 points and 8.4 rebounds.

San Antonio is 3 1/2 games behind the league-best Warriors and looks to post its seventh consecutive victory when it visits the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday as play resumes following the All-Star break.

Jamal Crawford, who struggled as the backup point guard in the first half, had a more productive second half playing next to Paul and finished with 19 points, splashing 3 threes.

“They had the same break we did”, West snapped when asked whether the Spurs fought to shake off rust early in scoring 34 points in the first half, before scoring 29 in the third quarter alone.

The Clippers (36-18) were led by Paul, who scored 28 points and doled out 12 assists. She was killed in a vehicle accident at age 44.

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and son Austin, along with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan and David West also traveled to the funeral.

Tony Parker scored 14 points, but the Spurs fell 105-86 to the Clippers inside the Staples Center to begin the first night of a back-to-back. They also made 12 of 25 3-pointers (48 percent) to only four of 17 (23.5 percent) for the Spurs. A five point loss in overtime to the Boston Celtics didn’t send them into the break the right way, and they will have the pressure on for wins from the get go on the other side. He found Crawford in the left corner for a three, then scored five straight points before Jordan slammed down Paul’s alley-oop pass.

The Clippers have played well in the absence of star Blake Griffin, who has dealt with injuries and suspensions since Christmas. As for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant’s final season is coming rapidly to a close, but the real key is for Byron Scott to start showing faith in D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle down the home stretch of the regular season, starting with the Spurs. On paper, it’s the biggest win of the season for the Clippers, who entered the game a collective 0-4 against Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City – the three teams ahead of the Clippers in the Western Conference. Duncan had two points on 1-of-6 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in 20 minutes. Reserve G Pablo Prigioni sat out because of a viral illness.

“The guy was great and guys really liked him”, Rivers said.

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