Clippers 91, Spurs 79

Tuesday December 17, 2002

LOS ANGELES (AP) It isn't often that the Los Angeles Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs.

It also isn't often that Tim Duncan plays an entire game without going to the foul line. Or that the Spurs fail to make a 3-pointer. Or that their opponent blocks twice as many shots as they do.

All of those oddities occurred Monday night as the Clippers beat San Antonio 91-79. It was only their second victory in 20 meetings, and the first in the last nine in Los Angeles.

``A lot of things went against us,'' Spurs center David Robinson said. ``We got very, very sloppy, which has been kind of a pattern. That's why our record is what it is. We should have a lot more wins. We're just not consistent enough right now.''

The consistency of Quentin Richardson was the determining factor for the Clippers, whose 11 wins are only three fewer than San Antonio.

The reserve guard scored 10 of his season-high 21 points during a 2:23 span to give Los Angeles a 90-73 cushion with 3:12 left, after the Spurs trimmed a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to 10 with 7:45 remaining.

``He was incredible down the stretch. He felt very comfortable and was hitting his shots, so we tried to get him the rock as much as we could,'' Elton Brand said.

In the second quarter, Richardson's 3-pointer with 4:16 left capped the first of two 15-3 runs, helping the Clippers turn a seven-point deficit into a 42-37 advantage.

``They made shots,'' Robinson said. ``They're not known as a great outside-shooting team, but they did a great job and we didn't play good, smart basketball.''

Michael Olowokandi had 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Clippers.

Clippers coach Alvin Gentry was ejected for the third time in three seasons with 1:49 left in the first after Gary Benson and Derek Richardson called technical fouls against him within 93 seconds.

``It's natural for a team to rally together when a head coach or a player gets ejected from a game,'' said assistant coach Dennis Johnson, who directed the team after Gentry's ejection.

``Alvin reminded me when he went out to make sure I got the guys to pressure them and make sure they stay up on them just the same thing he would do. I really didn't change anything that Alvin would have done.''

Brand helped fuel the second rally with six of his 16 points, including a tip-in that gave Los Angeles its biggest lead, 64-46, with 5:56 left in the third.

Duncan, last season's MVP, scored 32 points on 16-for-29 shooting and had 11 rebounds. But Robinson managed only 10 points, and the Spurs' usually reliable reserves contributed only 20.

``We didn't let Duncan beat us. We knew he would get his points, but we didn't let the other guys step up,'' Brand said. ``It feels good to win this game. It's another hurdle we overcame.''< ^Notes:@ The Spurs' fourth-quarter momentum was derailed by technical fouls less than three minutes apart against Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich. ... The Clippers shot 52.3 percent against a defense that entered the game with the lowest field-goal percentage by opponents (40.7). ... The Spurs were 0-for-9 from 3-point range, the first time they have been blanked this season. They were 7-for-17 against the Clippers last Friday night in a 97-84 victory in San Antonio.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)