The Los Angeles Clippers will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead against the San Antonio Spurs when they face each other in Game 2 of their best-of-seven 2015 NBA Playoff series on Wednesday at Staples Center.
The Clippers, who was seeded third in the Western Conference bracket after finishing with a 56-26 record during the regular season, scored an impressive 107-92 win in the series opener on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Chris Paul had a spectacular night for the Clippers as the superstar point guard erupted for 32 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds and six assists, while Blake Griffin racked up 26 points and 12 boards to go along with three blocks and three steals.
Clippers starting center DeAndre Jordan wrecked havoc on the defensive end of the floor as he blocked four shots. Jordan, who also added nine points and 14 rebounds, earned praises from veteran guard Manu Ginobili, who said that the 26-year-old is a game-changer for the Clippers.
"He's just very intimidating, there's no way around it," Ginobili said of Jordan, who is one of the top candidates for the 2015 Defensive Player of the Year award. "It's something that we know, and it forces us to change our shots."
With Jordan manning the paint, the Clippers slowed the Spurs down with their defensive sets, limiting the defending champions to just 36.6 percent from the field, including a measly 10-for-33 clip from beyond the arc.
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers wants to see the same defensive effort from his team on Wednesday in order to take control of the series. However, the veteran coach said that it will be easier said than done, especially against the defending champions.
"They're still the defending champs, and they're going to be the defending champs every night," Rivers said of the Spurs. "We have a lot of confidence in our team, but you just have to stay humble and respect who you're playing."
The second game of the first-round series between the Spurs and the Clippers will start at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be shown live on TNT. It will also be available on FSSW and FSW2, and through online live stream via this link. Live scores and video highlights will be available here.
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