Spurs Vs. Clippers: Complete Western Semifinals Series Coverage

You might think that the Spurs would have been rusty, that they might not remember what to do with the game on the line, how to win a close one. But here’s how the Spurs aren’t like most other NBA teams: With the game on the line, they do exactly what they do in every other situation. They run their offense and get good shots.

The two most important possessions, with 23 seconds remaining and the Clippers down one, and then with 10 seconds remaining and the Clippers down two, resulted in a turnover and a miss for Paul. As good as he is, the Spurs knew he would have the ball, and they swarmed him as he entered the lane. Even as he tried to find the open man, the Spurs’ pressure was too intense and he couldn’t make an accurate pass.

That magical 24-0 run in the third quarter did a pretty good job answering those questions, I’d say.

It’s easy to overlook half of what makes something like a 24-0 run. The NBA.com highlights focus on the Spurs’ scoring during the run, but more important as we roll the bones to assess future round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs were the stops. San Antonio took an opposing unit that dropped 33 points in 24 possessions in the first quarter and held them without a single point for 14 straight possessions in the third. Zero for 14. L.A. scored 18 points in the final 14 possessions of the first quarter (converting nine times), and zero in the 14 possessions that made up the Spurs’ 24-0 run.

↵Young is, apparently, high on life and a few other things during the playoffs because his wisdom teeth have gotten so bad and need to be removed with the quickness.

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The Wikipedia entry for alchemy includes the following description:

Diaw, Green and Leonard (and others) were NBA lead before they joined the Spurs. Base metal players of relatively little value. Popovich’s system that produces wide open shots for any element fully willing to become a part of the experiment, transforms these pieces into, shiny, shiny gold. Mediocre perimeter shooters suddenly rank among the league’s best when they play for the Spurs as if by magic -- but it’s not magic, it’s alchemy.

Game 2 is scheduled to tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

For more on the Spurs, be sure to visit Pounding the Rock. The best Clippers coverage on the web can be found at Clips Nation. And, if you’re looking for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation’s NBA page.

We should love this team, right? These aren’t the same old Spurs? A friend who’s been living in China for the past two years asked me last night if the Spurs are still as boring as they used to be.

“They aren’t, but they are,” I said.

In fact, for those that are into advanced statistics*, the Spurs have now put together a streak of 15 consecutive victories. It’s actually been over a month since the Spurs last lost -- and, were it not for the playoff victories, this might not even be the most impressive string of wins that San Antonio put together during this lockout-truncated season.

That’s a lot of winning!

It turns out, it wasn’t enough time.

The Grizzlies were the second worst team in the Western Conference playoffs in terms of offensive efficiency at 104 points per 100 possessions during the regular season. The Clippers’ defense at times looked stifling against Memphis in the first round, especially in the fourth quarter. But the frequently anemic Grizzlies offense can make defenses look awfully good. It’s a different story with the Spurs, who had the most efficient offense in the entire league at almost 111 points per 100 possessions during the regular season.

The teams return to the court on Thursday night in San Antonio for Game 2 of the series.

For more on the Spurs, be sure to visit Pounding the Rock. The best Clippers coverage on the web can be found at Clips Nation. And, if you’re looking for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation’s NBA page.

Their head-to-head history is even more lopsided, if that’s possible. The Spurs are 84-22 against the Clippers since 1985-1986. During the Popovich era, it’s worse still -- the Spurs are 48-7 against the LAC since the current San Antonio coach’s first training camp in 1997.

And then there’s the Clippers record in San Antonio, where the series opens. The Clippers are 8-46 in the Alamo City since 1985 -- they are 2-28 against Popovich-led teams.

Tuesday’s Game 1 will tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TNT

For more on the Spurs, be sure to visit Pounding the Rock. The best Clippers coverage on the web can be found at Clips Nation. And, if you’re looking for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation’s NBA page.

Game 1 - Tuesday, May 15 at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Game 2 - Thursday, May 17 at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Williams, a starter most of his NBA career and an All-Star in 2009 with Cleveland, was thriving in his sixth man role, but there was little else in reserve for the team.

Slowly but surely, the reinforcements arrived. Evans’ foot healed and he made his season debut in the sixth game, immediately becoming the first big man off the bench and a STAPLES Center favorite. Martin got out of his contract in China early and joined the team on February 8. Bledsoe returned to the lineup in early February as well, though he was brought along slowly as he tested his knee and tried to regain game shape. Young was acquired for Cook and a second round pick at the trade deadline in mid-March.