The Los Angeles Clippers kept their season alive by beating the San Antonio Spurs on the road, evening the series and forcing a Game 7. Who will win the series and advance to the next round?
Projected Starting Lineups
(3) Los Angeles Clippers (56-26)
G Chris Paul – 19.1 ppg, 10.2 apg
G J.J. Redick – 16.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg
F Matt Barnes – 10.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F Blake Griffin – 21.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 5.3 apg
C DeAndre Jordan – 11.5 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 2.3 bpg
(6) San Antonio Spurs (55-27)
G Tony Parker - 14.4 ppg, 4.9 apg
G Danny Green – 11.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg
F Kawhi Leonard - 16.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.3 spg
F Tim Duncan - 13.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg
C Tiago Splitter – 8.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg
What to watch for:
Can San Antonio make perimeter shots?
Three-point shooting has been the key barometer for how San Antonio has played in this series. In their three wins, they’ve shot over 40 percent as a team from behind the arc, compared to just 32.6 percent in their three losses. The Spurs' offense is based on spacing to create open shots from long-range, and if they aren't knocking those shots down, they won't win this game.
Can the Clippers get enough from their bench?
San Antonio's major advantage in this series comes from their bench, while the Clippers have lost a couple of games in this series because of the lack of production they got from their reserves. Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers will be relied on to pick up the slack even more with Glen Davis' availability in question due to a low ankle sprain, and if they can combine for more than 20 points, Los Angeles will win this game.
Prediction: Clippers win 109-106
Game 7 tends to bring out the best in everybody, particularly the Spurs' Tim Duncan, but the lack of production San Antonio has gotten from Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili is alarming. I expect Blake Griffin to have yet another big game in this series (San Antonio hasn't been able to stop him yet), and Chris Paul will make the necessary plays down the stretch to give Los Angeles the victory.
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