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Spurs 100, Clippers 99

Oct 13, 2010 - 6:01 AM MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Gary Neal hit a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to complete the San Antonio Spurs' comeback from an 18-point deficit in a 100-99 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.

DeJuan Blair led San Antonio with 21 points, while Tim Duncan added 17 points and 13 rebounds in front of nearly 19,000 people at Mexico City's Palacio de los Deportes for the 19th NBA game played in Mexico.

Eric Gordon was the Clippers' leading scorer with 23 points, and Rasual Butler added 20.

A putback by Chris Kaman off a missed free throw by Gordon and a free throw by Ryan Gomes gave the Clippers a 99-97 lead.

The Spurs inbounded and found Neal on the right side of the court for the game-winner - his only points of the game.

Kaman, who finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, had a chance at the buzzer, but he pump-faked as time ran out.

The Clippers led 51-33 in the second quarter, but the Spurs outscored them 27-18 in the third quarter. The comeback continued in the fourth as Duncan's three-point play tied the score at 83. Curtis Jerrells' jumper 30 seconds later gave San Antonio its first lead of the game with about nine minutes to go.

Former overall No. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin started his fourth straight preseason game for the Clippers, and had 13 points and 17 rebounds in 37 minutes. He missed all last season with a left knee injury.

Brazilian forward Tiago Splitter of the Spurs missed the game with a strained calf muscle.

Both Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili of the Spurs sat out the fourth quarter.

Ginobili, who finished with seven points in 13 minutes, was the big attraction for Mexico's Spanish-language media and he stayed around to field questions after other players left the press area to express thanks to the Mexican fans for their support.

"When the game got really tight ... they wanted us to win," Ginobili said.

Notes: Vinny Del Negro faced off against San Antonio, where he played from 1992 to 1998, for the first time as head coach of the Clippers. ... Though the Clippers were officially designated the "home" team, many of the biggest cheers were for San Antonio which is home to many Mexican-Americans, and its Big Three of Ginobili, Parker and Duncan