Rivers Steps Up But Clippers Still Fall To Spurs
- Updated: November 7, 2017
That 4-0 start for the Clippers feels like it was long ago in a galaxy far, far away just 6 games later.
Trying to get back in the winning column after 2 consecutive losses the Los Angeles Clippers started their 3 game road trip in San Antonio Tuesday night taking on the Spurs.
Los Angeles would be without starting forward Danilo Gallinari for the first time this season but they weren’t the only team bit with the injury bug as the Spurs would be without their superstar Kawhi Leonard.
The absence of Gallinari wasn’t felt early on as Wes Johnson did an excellent job filling in. Johnson had 7 points at the end of the first quarter and even chipped in on the defensive end with a block.
BG ➡️ Wes for the 🔨pic.twitter.com/9DDPrPHGyS
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 8, 2017
But like the rest of the team Johnson tired as the game wore on, finishing his night with just 12 points on an impressive 5-6 shooting.
Johnson shined early but it was Austin Rivers that stood out all night long. Rivers showed his aggressiveness early, attacking the basket with reckless abandon. But it was his perimeter game that made this a stellar performance from the guard. Rivers went 4-6 from beyond the arc and closed this one out with a team-high 24 points.
Rivers got his game going with his aggressiveness to excellent results but Blake Griffin tried a different approach, working from the outside early and working his way in to the basket. Griffin may want to abandon that mindset moving froward. While the development of Griffin’s perimeter game has been a welcome sight this season, it appears he’s fallen in love with the shot a little more than he should. Griffin went 2-7 from beyond the arc Tuesday, finishing his night with just 15 points to go with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Griffin needs to start using the long range shot as a compliment to his already stellar low post game rather than trying to build his performance around that shot. Tonight that approach hurt his team.
A third quarter that saw San Antonio drop 40 points on the struggling Clippers defense put them out in front and it was too much for Los Angeles to over come. The Spurs would win it 120-107.
A poor showing from the Clippers in their third consecutive loss. The schedule doesn’t get any easier on this road-trip as they head to Oklahoma City next to take on a difficult Thunder squad before heading to New Orleans to close it out. Hopefully the Clippers can find their groove soon because if they don’t they’ll be staring down a losing record, they are now 5-5 after this contest.
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