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I'm way too pumped up to give any kind of objective analysis of this game. All I know is that Tim Duncan is truly amazing. If you watched the game you know this, but I'm going to say it anyway -- Tim Duncan is unreal, he's still one of the greatest players in the world 18 years into his career and I don't know what the Spurs are going to do without him.
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That was a heartbreaking loss for the Clippers, because they took a late lead after being down by 10 points halfway into the fourth. If you're a believer in a team having a hard time coming back in a series after a tough home loss, it doesn't look good for the Clips. Pop employed the hack-a strategy late in the game and while DeAndre Jordan missed most of his free throws in the game, the strategy took the Spurs out of their game as well. The Clippers went on a 9-0 run while the Spurs intentionally fouled Jordan before a Boris Diaw tip gave the Spurs a 90-87 lead with three minutes to play in regulation.
The momentum slowly shifted in favor of the Clippers as the lead dwindled and Manu Ginobili picked up his sixth foul while stopping an LA fast break after he turned the ball over. The Spurs then did just enough to get the game to overtime.
It didn't look particularly good for the Spurs going into overtime without Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, who left the game with a sore achilles, as well as five fouls on Tim.
But the team found a way to pull out a win with good defense and great play from Patty Mills, who I like to think balled out for his countryman, Aron Baynes. The little Aussie dropped in eight for the good guys in overtime on their way to an even series.
I'm not sure the Spurs needed to win this one as much as the Clippers needed to not lose it, but either way, it's a good win for fans of the Silver and Black.
Pop Quote:
Asked about Tim Duncan's incredible performance.
He was probably our best player in Game 1, too. Its nothing different for Timmy...He continues to amaze me.
GIF of the Night:
It was really hard to narrow this one down and this may not have been your pick with so many great late game plays happening, but I have a soft spot for Boris and this pass is truly phenomenal. There will be plenty more in the GIF Breakdown tomorrow.
Up Next:
The Spurs will host the Clips on Friday night in the AT&T Center. Now that the Spurs have home-court advantage in the series, they'll need to protect it. A 2-1 lead would give the Spurs a firm grip on the series.