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Spurs sweep Jazz, Clippers lead 3-1
May 8, 2012, Tuesday
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THE San Antonio Spurs completed a 4-0 sweep of Utah in their NBA first-round series, beating the Jazz 87-81 yesterday.
Manu Ginobili broke out of his shooting slump with 17 points. He went 0 for 8 from beyond the arc in the first three games but after Utah pulled within 61-58 with 3:18 left in the third, he hit consecutive 3-pointers then added another as the Spurs regained control, taking a 76-58 lead early in the fourth.
The Jazz went scoreless for more than 8 minutes during a 15-0 Spurs run. Utah made a furious charge late and was within 83-79 with 49 seconds left. But Ginobili's fastbreak layup after a steal by Tony Parker sealed it.
Utah's Big 3 lineup with Derrick Favors at power forward kept the Jazz close, but San Antonio's bench made the difference, outscoring the Jazz's reserves 47-10.
Top-seeded San Antonio advanced to the second round and awaits the winner of the Memphis-Los Angeles Clippers series, which may not be settled until Sunday.
The Spurs are on a 14-game winning streak and looking to make amends for a first-round upset by Memphis last year.
The Jazz have lost eight straight playoff games as they were swept by the Lakers in the second round two years ago. It was only the second first-round sweep in Utah history, the other coming in 1989.
The young, inexperienced Jazz put up a fight at the end, but it was too little too late.
The Spurs won Game 1 by 15 points, Game 2 by 31 and Game 3 by 12, relying on MVP candidate Parker and the deepest bench in the league.
With Parker scoring 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting yesterday, and starters Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green struggling offensively, San Antonio's bench picked up the slack.
Tim Duncan added 11 points and was the only other starter in double figures for the Spurs.
Al Jefferson led Utah with 26 points on 13-of-19 shooting, and had 10 rebounds. Devin Harris added 19 points but shot just 6 of 17. Favors, making his first postseason start, added 16 points and blocked shots by Parker and Splitter.
CLIPPERS 101, GRIZZLIES 97, OT
In Los Angeles, Chris Paul scored eight of his 27 points in a dynamic overtime performance, leading Los Angeles to a victory over Memphis that put the Clippers up 3-1 in their series and on the brink of only their second playoff series victory in 36 years.
Blake Griffin had 30 points and seven assists before fouling out with 2:26 left in overtime for the Clippers, who blew a 10-point lead in the final 4? minutes of regulation before their All-Star point guard took charge in overtime.
Mike Conley scored a career playoff-high 25 points and Rudy Gay had 23 on 8-of-25 shooting for the Grizzlies, who couldn't match Paul's late-game poise in another thrilling chapter of a highly entertaining series.
Game 5 is Wednesday in Memphis, with Game 6 back at Staples Center on Friday if necessary.
After Paul hit consecutive jumpers in the final 1:16 of overtime, Conley's layup with 8.1 seconds left trimmed the Clippers' lead back to two points. But Mo Williams added two free throws for Los Angeles with 7.2 seconds left to seal the win.
Caron Butler, playing with a broken bone in his left hand, scored 14 points for the Clippers, who still shouldn't be comfortable in a thrilling series with Memphis, which outrebounded Los Angeles 47-36, but couldn't close the victory.
The Clippers need one more victory to win their second playoff series since the erstwhile Buffalo Braves moved to California. They beat Denver in the first round in 2006, but hadn't been back to the postseason since.
Memphis trimmed a late 84-74 deficit to 85-83 with 1:25 left. Gay hit the tying jumper in the final minute of regulation, but Paul drove for the go-ahead layup - his only points of the fourth quarter - only for Zach Randolph to coolly hit two tying free throws with 20.4 seconds left.
Paul couldn't get a shot on the final possession of regulation, with Tony Allen and Gay swarming him.
Manu Ginobili broke out of his shooting slump with 17 points. He went 0 for 8 from beyond the arc in the first three games but after Utah pulled within 61-58 with 3:18 left in the third, he hit consecutive 3-pointers then added another as the Spurs regained control, taking a 76-58 lead early in the fourth.
The Jazz went scoreless for more than 8 minutes during a 15-0 Spurs run. Utah made a furious charge late and was within 83-79 with 49 seconds left. But Ginobili's fastbreak layup after a steal by Tony Parker sealed it.
Utah's Big 3 lineup with Derrick Favors at power forward kept the Jazz close, but San Antonio's bench made the difference, outscoring the Jazz's reserves 47-10.
Top-seeded San Antonio advanced to the second round and awaits the winner of the Memphis-Los Angeles Clippers series, which may not be settled until Sunday.
The Spurs are on a 14-game winning streak and looking to make amends for a first-round upset by Memphis last year.
The Jazz have lost eight straight playoff games as they were swept by the Lakers in the second round two years ago. It was only the second first-round sweep in Utah history, the other coming in 1989.
The young, inexperienced Jazz put up a fight at the end, but it was too little too late.
The Spurs won Game 1 by 15 points, Game 2 by 31 and Game 3 by 12, relying on MVP candidate Parker and the deepest bench in the league.
With Parker scoring 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting yesterday, and starters Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green struggling offensively, San Antonio's bench picked up the slack.
Tim Duncan added 11 points and was the only other starter in double figures for the Spurs.
Al Jefferson led Utah with 26 points on 13-of-19 shooting, and had 10 rebounds. Devin Harris added 19 points but shot just 6 of 17. Favors, making his first postseason start, added 16 points and blocked shots by Parker and Splitter.
CLIPPERS 101, GRIZZLIES 97, OT
In Los Angeles, Chris Paul scored eight of his 27 points in a dynamic overtime performance, leading Los Angeles to a victory over Memphis that put the Clippers up 3-1 in their series and on the brink of only their second playoff series victory in 36 years.
Blake Griffin had 30 points and seven assists before fouling out with 2:26 left in overtime for the Clippers, who blew a 10-point lead in the final 4? minutes of regulation before their All-Star point guard took charge in overtime.
Mike Conley scored a career playoff-high 25 points and Rudy Gay had 23 on 8-of-25 shooting for the Grizzlies, who couldn't match Paul's late-game poise in another thrilling chapter of a highly entertaining series.
Game 5 is Wednesday in Memphis, with Game 6 back at Staples Center on Friday if necessary.
After Paul hit consecutive jumpers in the final 1:16 of overtime, Conley's layup with 8.1 seconds left trimmed the Clippers' lead back to two points. But Mo Williams added two free throws for Los Angeles with 7.2 seconds left to seal the win.
Caron Butler, playing with a broken bone in his left hand, scored 14 points for the Clippers, who still shouldn't be comfortable in a thrilling series with Memphis, which outrebounded Los Angeles 47-36, but couldn't close the victory.
The Clippers need one more victory to win their second playoff series since the erstwhile Buffalo Braves moved to California. They beat Denver in the first round in 2006, but hadn't been back to the postseason since.
Memphis trimmed a late 84-74 deficit to 85-83 with 1:25 left. Gay hit the tying jumper in the final minute of regulation, but Paul drove for the go-ahead layup - his only points of the fourth quarter - only for Zach Randolph to coolly hit two tying free throws with 20.4 seconds left.
Paul couldn't get a shot on the final possession of regulation, with Tony Allen and Gay swarming him.
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