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GAME BLOG: Spurs lose to Clippers, finish three-game road trip with no wins

The Spurs have now lost five of their last six games.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Final score: Clippers 116, Spurs 111.

The Spurs' fifth and final turnover of the night came at the worst time. Trailing by three with 20 seconds left, DeMar DeRozan couldn't handle a pass and turned it over. Danilo Gallinari made his free throws - four of them in the last 30 seconds - to put the Spurs away.

A driving layup by DeMar DeRozan cut the Clippers' lead to 110-109 with 36 seconds left. That came after a Lou Williams three pointer put the Clippers ahead, breaking a tie at 107.

DeMar DeRozan finished with an eye-popping line of 34 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. He did it on 14-of-30 shooting. Other than DeRozan, the Spurs shot 37 percent from the floor.

The Spurs have been hampered by the fact that only four players - DeRozan, Forbes, Gay and Mills - have had enough firepower to score more than 10 points. LaMarcus Aldridge got 10 points, but made just 3 of his 15 field goal attempts, 20 percent. The Clippers have been a little more balanced. The hosts also attempted 10 more free throws than their Silver & Black-clad guests.

DeMar DeRozan notched a milestone in the fourth quarter.

Here come the three pointers! Back-to-back buckets from Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli cut the Clippers' lead to two points with 7 minutes to play. That capped an 8-0 run, with the first hoop also coming from Belinelli.

THIRD QUARTER:

After 36 minutes, the Clippers lead 91-84.

It's the DeMar DeRozan show for the Spurs, and it looks like the team will go as far as he takes them tonight. He has 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a block, and there's still one quarter left.

The Spurs are only shooting 42 percent, but holding the Clippers under 50 percent has been key to keeping it close. The Spurs are being out-rebounded by 8, but have committed 7 fewer turnovers, so that basically balances out.

The shooting from the Spurs' stars has been less than ideal. LaMarcus Aldridge is 3-12 after 5 minutes of the third quarter. DeMar DeRozan is leading the team with 18 points, but he's taken 18 shots to get there. However, he did this, so most fans will probably forgive him:

SECOND QUARTER:

At halftime, the Clippers led 61-60.

That's more like it. The Spurs trail by just one despite inconsistent shooting that has plagued them recently. They shot just under 43 percent in the first half, but committed just 2 turnovers. The starting backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Bryn Forbes combined for 27 points at the break. Forbes was very efficient, knocking down 3 of 4 from deep and dishing 2 assists.

The Spurs bench has performed well, but so has the Clippers'. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams had 8 points in his first 11 minutes, helping Los Angeles to a 44-38 lead midway through the second quarter. Greg Popovich noticed:

FIRST QUARTER:

After 1, the Clippers led 29-28.

Rudy Gay was welcomed back to the Spurs lineup after missing Wednesday's game in Phoenix. He responded with 6 points off the bench. Patty Mills also had 5 points in the first quarter off the bench.

A 10-1 run early in the first quarter put the Clippers ahead. A LaMarcus Aldridge jumper gave the visitors a 7-4 lead before most players had broken a sweat, but a Clippers flurry drew a timeout from Greg Popovich.

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The Spurs have been more down than up recently. After a four-game winning streak, the Silver & Black have lost four of their last five.

Thursday night, the team finishes a three-game road trip with a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. It's the second game of a back-to-back for San Antonio. The Spurs lost Wednesday night in Phoenix.

The Clippers are well-rested and confident. Their last game was Monday, a win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors. That's who the Spurs have next, with a game Sunday at the AT&T Center.

But first the Spurs need to focus on tonight's game against a team they have historically dominated.

Follow our live blog here, where we'll provide regular updates featuring highlights and analysis.

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