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Clippers-Spurs Preview

Dec 20, 2009 - 6:32 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Los Angeles (12-14) at San Antonio (14-10), 8:30 p.m. EDT

While the San Antonio Spurs have struggled against teams with winning records, they have taken care of nearly every sub-.500 foe.

The Spurs look to continue that trend Monday night when they go for their 14th straight victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

San Antonio (14-10) improved to 12-1 against teams currently at .500 or worse with Saturday's 100-99 victory over Indiana. Tim Duncan had his shot blocked by Roy Hibbert but got the rebound and dunked it over the Pacers center with 4.6 seconds left as the Spurs rallied from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to open their three-game homestand.

"I wanted to try to take it to the glass and see what happens, and Hibbert made a very good defensive play," Duncan said after scoring 19 points and matching a season high with 16 rebounds.

Duncan, who is averaging 26.7 points and 15.0 boards in his last three games, scored 21 points and led six Spurs in double-figures in a 115-90 win over the host Clippers on Dec. 13 - San Antonio's 13th straight victory in this matchup.

"As has been all season, Tim Duncan is our most consistent player," Gregg Popovich said Saturday after becoming the 16th coach to win 700 NBA games, but just the third (Jerry Sloan in Utah and Red Auerbach in Boston) to win that many contests with one team. "He's been fantastic."

While San Antonio is 2-9 against teams with winning records, it has a chance to continue its push up the Western Conference standings - eight of its next 11 games are against .500 or worse teams.

The Spurs also have won 13 straight at home versus the Clippers since a 91-87 loss Jan. 31, 2002.

Los Angeles, which hasn't beaten a team currently with a winning record since a 106-99 victory over Denver on Nov. 20, hasn't beaten San Antonio since a 98-85 victory March 7, 2006.

The Clippers (12-14) continue their six-game trip following Saturday's 112-107 overtime win over Philadelphia. After letting a 20-point lead slip away in Friday's 95-91 defeat in New York, Los Angeles squandered a 16-point, third-quarter lead and nearly fell to the 76ers as Andre Iguodala's buzzer-beater was waved off at the end of regulation.

Los Angeles, which has won three of four, held Philadelphia to one basket in the opening 4:49 of overtime.

"(We knew) the first team to make that run was going to win the game," Al Thornton said after the Clippers improved to 2-1 on their trip.

Chris Kaman posted his fourth double-double in five games Saturday with 24 points and 11 rebounds. He had 19 and 10 in the Dec. 13 loss to San Antonio.

Coming off the bench, Baron Davis led the Clippers with 20 points and six assists in that contest. He missed both losses in San Antonio last season due to injuries.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 18 points in Los Angeles' last visit to AT&T Center - a 111-98 San Antonio victory March 27. Parker has shot just 29.2 percent and averaged 12.0 points in his last two home games.

The Spurs are 41-4 against the Clippers since Dec. 10. 1997.