Spurs vs. Clippers Game 2: Chris Paul, Blake Griffin Must Stay Aggressive

By Andrew C. Fisher | Apr 22, 2015

Apr 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Aron Baynes (16) fights for a loose ball with Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and forward Matt Barnes (22) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

With the aging defending champs trying to win back-to-back titles for the first time in the Gregg Popovich era, and a Los Angeles Clippers team trying to prove it belongs, it doesn’t get a whole lot better in round one of the NBA Playoffs. If San Antonio Spurs vs. Clippers feels like it should at least be a semifinal matchup, it should be.

More from LA Clippers

But because of the NBA’s current playoff seeding rules, here we are.

Los Angeles, of course, took the opener on Sunday night in convincing fashion, pulling away in the fourth quarter to win by 15. But one win over this veteran Spurs team doesn’t mean a whole heck of a lot. You know San Antonio is only realistically hoping to earn a split before flying back to Texas.

If the Clippers head into Game 3 tied at 1-1, it just won’t be good enough. Home-court advantage is obviously one of the best things they have going in this series. Their fans flat out brought the energy on Sunday night.

On top of more than 19,000 crazy supporters in Game 1, the Clippers also had the two best players on the floor. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were outstanding, putting up a combined 58 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists to carry their team past the defending champs.

Both guys seemed to kick things into that proverbial next gear you hear about during the postseason. Paul was darting all over the court, while Griffin was nearly indefensible at the basket, dunking like he was mad at the world. Both players were aggressive, early and often.

The game plan shouldn’t be a whole lot different in Game 2, as in jumping on the backs of the two franchise centerpieces. Los Angeles is only going as far as its two stars take it. Sure, it’s unrealistic to think that Paul and Griffin will put up crazy numbers every night like they did in the opener.

But the Clippers won’t stand a chance of advancing if they don’t bring the same effort in each game moving forward.

That being said, basketball is obviously still a team game. The production, or lack thereof, from the Clippers bench in Game 1 is not going to cut the mustard. With the exception of Jamal Crawford, a former two-time Sixth Man of the Year Award winner, Doc Rivers‘ bench is thin, and that’s being polite.

Glen Davis gave 12 solid minutes in the opener, but Los Angeles needs him to be a guy who can drop six to eight points and rebounds the rest of the way.

There’s really no such thing as a must-win game when leading a series. But if there was ever a must-win game for a team that’s up 1-0, Game 2 is it. The Clippers not only have to keep home court, they have to keep their confidence up. It’s hard to imagine it being any higher after the way they played in Game 1, so a big letdown is the last thing Rivers’ team needs.

As long as Paul and Griffin keep the pedal to the metal and someone on the bench outside of Crawford shows up, they should have a great shot at taking care of business. San Antonio sure doesn’t look like the same team that cruised to a championship last June.

Next: Can Chris Paul Exorcise Postseason Demons?

More from Hoops Habit

Home/LA Clippers