RECAP: Duncan and Leonard help Spurs beat Clippers 111-107 in OT
Tim Duncan scored 28 points, Kawhi Leonard added 23 and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 111-107 in overtime Wednesday night, tying their Western Conference playoff series at 1-1.
The Spurs blew 10-point leads in the third and fourth quarters, and got into overtime on a pair of free throws by Patty Mills with 8 seconds left in regulation. Duncan scored four straight points in the extra session while playing with five fouls.
His jumper snapped a 101-all tie, Mills followed with a fast-break layup off Leonard's long pass, and Leonard scored on a layup for a 107-101 lead with 56 seconds left.
Mills finished with 18 points off the bench after starting point guard Tony Parker departed early with an injury. Boris Diaw had 12.
"He was spectacular. He continues to amaze me with the things he's able to do." - Pop pic.twitter.com/iBqmEugD1D
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 23, 2015
The series, the only one of the eight in the first round that is tied after two games, moves to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday night.
Blake Griffin had his first career playoff triple-double of 29 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, but a costly turnover late in regulation.
DeAndre Jordan had 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Clippers.
Chris Paul's two free throws gave the Clippers a 94-92 lead with 50 seconds left in regulation, but Griffin lost the ball while dribbling with a chance to put it away and Mills tied it with two free throws.
Paul missed the potential winning shot with a 19-footer from the right side as regulation expired. The Clippers were 9 of 21 from the line in the fourth, but they hung in while Spurs were held to two field goals over the final 6:41.
The Clippers failed to follow up their dominant showing in Game 1, when they led by 20 points in the fourth and won by 15.
Danny Green hit the Spurs' third consecutive 3-pointer to start the fourth, launching an 11-4 spurt that restored their lead to 88-78.
The Clippers cut their deficit to 88-87 on a free throw by Matt Barnes, capping a run of nine straight points, with all but five of them coming from the line.
They tied the game at 90-all on a pair of free throws by Redick.
Duncan scored four of the Spurs' first five points of the third, stretching their lead to 10 points. The Clippers put together an 11-1 run, including five in a row by Paul, to get to 59-58.
But Mills ended the third with consecutive 3-pointers, putting the Spurs back in front 77-74 going into the fourth.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Duncan had his 159th career playoff double-double, tops in the league. ... They are the first team to start the playoffs with three NBA Finals MVPs (Duncan, Tony Parker and Leonard) since the 1988-89 Lakers had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. ... Duncan turns 39 on Saturday. ... Duncan went over the 5,000-point mark in his playoff career.
Clippers: They fell to 5-6 all-time in Game 2 of a best-of-seven series. ... Their seven-game winning streak ended. ... Reserve F Jordan Hamilton will remain inactive after sustaining a concussion in practice. ... Elgin Baylor, Hall of Fame player and Clippers GM from 1986-2008 who sued former team owner Donald Sterling after he was fired, sat next to new owner Steve Ballmer. Baylor was introduced as "a very special guest" during a timeout and the video board showed highlights of his career. ... Also attending was Frank Robinson, former player and the first black manager in major league baseball. He and his wife made the kiss cam.
