Spurs’ incredible comeback puts them in commanding series lead

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

Nothing was going to rattle the calm, cool and collected Spurs. Not even a 24-point deficit.

Tim Duncan scored 19 points, helping engineer a defining 24-0 run in the third quarter, and San Antonio defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 96-86 on Saturday to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their second-round playoff series.

“We didn’t plan on being down that much,” said Duncan. “We stuck with it.”

Led by Tony Parker’s 23 points and his defense on an ailing Chris Paul, the Spurs kept running their plays even as Blake Griffin’s early offensive assault buried them in a huge hole. Griffin missed three shots in the first half, when he scored 20 points and carried his team to the 24-point lead despite a left hip injury and a sprained right knee.

“They came out like we expected, very strong. Blake was making crazy shots,” Parker said. “We just took our time. It’s a long game, a very long game. At halftime, we were very calm.”

Griffin had 28 points and 16 rebounds, and reserve Mo Williams added 19 points for the Clippers, who face some daunting NBA history heading into Game 4 on Sunday at Staples Center. No team has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

“If we don’t play with that sense of urgency, it’s not going to be pretty,” Griffin said.

THUNDER-LAKERS

LOS ANGELES

The Los Angeles Lakers led the Oklahoma City Thunder 29-24 after one quarter in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinals series.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum had 10 points apiece for the Lakers, who began the game trailing in the series 2-1.