Paul and Griffin lead Clippers over Spurs 92-87

[November 20, 2012]  SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Chris Paul had 19 points and eight assists and the Los Angeles Clippers beat San Antonio 92-87 on Monday night, their second win against the Spurs this season.

Matt Barnes added 14 points and Blake Griffin had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers (8-2).

Tim Duncan had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs (8-3), who suffered their second home loss this season. Manu Ginobili added 15 points and Tony Parker 11.

Paul made a five-foot jumper in the lane with 24.6 seconds left to give the Clippers a 91-87 lead. Gary Neal missed a 3-pointer on the subsequent possession, which Eric Bledsoe gathered for his fifth rebound. Bledsoe, who had nine points, made one of two free throws for the final margin.

The Spurs rallied when Matt Bonner made a pair of 3s sandwiched around one from Parker to pull to 88-85 with 2 minutes remaining.

Ginobili and Tiago Splitter teamed to score 13 points in the first quarter, with Splitter giving the Spurs a 28-18 lead on a layup to close the period.

San Antonio was outscored 29-14 in the second quarter while shooting 3 for 18 from the field.

Neal, returning to the lineup after missing two games with a cut on his right index finger, made a runner on his first attempt to give San Antonio a 30-20 lead. That runner with 11:19 left in the half was the last basket for 8 minutes for the Spurs, who missed 11 shots and had six turnovers in the drought.

Paul's jumper gave the Clippers a 34-33 lead with 5:31 left that they extended to 45-36 on Paul's 22-foot jumper.

Danny Green's 3-pointer pulled the Spurs to 67-63 with 1:29 remaining in the third, but Paul responded with another jumper on the ensuing possession.

NOTES: Spurs swingman Stephen Jackson suffered a non-displaced fracture to his right pinkie finger late in the first quarter and is expected to miss four to six weeks. He was starting his second game in place of Kawhi Leonard, who is out with quadriceps tendinitis in his left knee. Jackson is averaging 8.3 points this season while making 10 of 34 3-point attempts.

[Associated Press]

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