A 24-point loss is generally not considered a respectable defeat at any level. But when you're the Clippers and you trail 70-35 at halftime against the Spurs, you realize how much worse it could have been. On Saturday, the Clippers seemed lost in the first half without Chris Paul, who will miss the next few weeks with a shoulder injury, and struggled to do much of anything on either end of the court.
Clippers vs. Spurs: How San Antonio humiliated the short-handed Clippers
The final score was 116-92, but the game was even more embarrassing for Los Angeles than the 24-point margin indicated. Here’s a look at the disastrous first half.
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With the game no longer in doubt, San Antonio eased off a bit in the second half to prevent the blowout from reaching historic proportions. But at halftime it looked like the game could be headed in that direction. Here are some of the most telling numbers from the first half in San Antonio:
- The Spurs led 37-17 after one quarter. They shot 17-for-22 from the field, compared to 8-for-21 for Los Angeles.
- San Antonio gave up just one rebound in a quarter for the first time in team history, out-rebounding the Clippers 16-1 in the opening 12 minutes.
- The Spurs attempted 12 more field goals than the Clippers in the first half and had a 17-rebound advantage.
- San Antonio shot 61 percent in the first half.
- The Spurs tallied 21 assists in the first half. Los Angeles made 15 field goals, just barely surpassing its foul total (12).
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