Williams Helps Clippers Edge Spurs for 3rd Straight Victory
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lou Williams did it again.
He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs 116-111 on Thursday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.
''We feel like we're a good basketball team despite what people are talking about,'' Williams said.
The Clippers improved to 7-1 at home after blowing leads of 14 points in the second quarter and 10 in the fourth.
''This was a gritty win,'' Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers said.
The Spurs were the third high-powered team in a row beaten by the Clippers, who edged Milwaukee and defending NBA champion Golden State in a pair of overtime wins.
Williams proved the difference in those games, too.
He scored the final 10 points in overtime against the Warriors after the Clippers blew a 14-point lead in the fourth. His layup with 0.3 seconds left in overtime beat the Bucks.
Williams led Los Angeles with 23 points off the bench, hitting two free throws to seal the win.
Danilo Gallinari added 19 points, including four straight late free throws, and Tobias Harris18.
DeRozan scored 34 points for the Spurs, who dropped their third in a row. Rudy Gay added 19 points off the bench.
The Spurs tied it up 107-all on a pair of free throws by LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 16 rebounds.
Williams tried to get Bryn Forbes in the air with a pump-fake and let fly a 3, having missed his two other attempts in the game.
DeRozan scored on a drive to get the Spurs to 110-109, but they got no closer.
Montrezl Harrell scored the Clippers' first six points of the fourth to get them back to a double-digit lead, 96-86.
DeRozan missed two free throws before Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli hit back-to-back 3-pointers that closed the Spurs to 96-94.
San Antonio got within one early in the third on basket by DeRozan. He twice scored to put them within two. But every time the Clippers answered to stay ahead, with their second unit scoring 10 of their final 12 points for a 91-84 lead after three.
The Clippers opened the second quarter with a 15-2 run that produced their largest lead of 44-30. Harrell scored seven in a row.
The Spurs answered with a 23-8 spurt, including 10 by DeRozan, to erase their 14-point deficit and give them a 53-52 lead. The Clippers got a pair of free throws by Gallinari to lead 61-60 going into halftime.
******** Patrick Beverley #21 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to making a shot during the second half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center on November 15, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs 116-111 on Thursday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.
''We feel like we're a good basketball team despite what people are talking about,'' Williams said.
The Clippers improved to 7-1 at home after blowing leads of 14 points in the second quarter and 10 in the fourth.
''This was a gritty win,'' Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers said.
The Spurs were the third high-powered team in a row beaten by the Clippers, who edged Milwaukee and defending NBA champion Golden State in a pair of overtime wins.
Williams proved the difference in those games, too.
He scored the final 10 points in overtime against the Warriors after the Clippers blew a 14-point lead in the fourth. His layup with 0.3 seconds left in overtime beat the Bucks.
Williams led Los Angeles with 23 points off the bench, hitting two free throws to seal the win.
Danilo Gallinari added 19 points, including four straight late free throws, and Tobias Harris18.
DeRozan scored 34 points for the Spurs, who dropped their third in a row. Rudy Gay added 19 points off the bench.
The Spurs tied it up 107-all on a pair of free throws by LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 16 rebounds.
Williams tried to get Bryn Forbes in the air with a pump-fake and let fly a 3, having missed his two other attempts in the game.
DeRozan scored on a drive to get the Spurs to 110-109, but they got no closer.
Montrezl Harrell scored the Clippers' first six points of the fourth to get them back to a double-digit lead, 96-86.
DeRozan missed two free throws before Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli hit back-to-back 3-pointers that closed the Spurs to 96-94.
San Antonio got within one early in the third on basket by DeRozan. He twice scored to put them within two. But every time the Clippers answered to stay ahead, with their second unit scoring 10 of their final 12 points for a 91-84 lead after three.
The Clippers opened the second quarter with a 15-2 run that produced their largest lead of 44-30. Harrell scored seven in a row.
The Spurs answered with a 23-8 spurt, including 10 by DeRozan, to erase their 14-point deficit and give them a 53-52 lead. The Clippers got a pair of free throws by Gallinari to lead 61-60 going into halftime.
******** Patrick Beverley #21 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to making a shot during the second half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center on November 15, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.