Spurs win 13th straight, top Clippers

Manu Ginobili scored 16 points and grabbed seven boards for the Spurs, and Michael Finley added 13 points. The Spurs team record for consecutive wins is 17 games, set in the 1995-96 season.

Corey Maggette scored 17 points and raked in nine rebounds for the Clippers, who lost their fourth straight, and their 12th out of 17, but are still barely hanging onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Elton Brand finished with 16 points and 10 boards, and Tim Thomas added 15 points for LA. Chris Kaman scored 13 points for the Clippers.

The Clippers could never quite get over the hump with the Spurs, cutting their deficit to five points early in the fourth quarter, but could not get any closer.

A Daniel Ewing layup made it 74-69 with 9:03 left, but the Spurs answered with a quick 7-2 spurt, and a Ginobili trey posted San Antonio to an 81-71 advantage.

The Clips twice cut back to within six points down the stretch, but never any closer, and the Spurs sealed their 13th straight triumph.

LA chipped away at the San Antonio lead in the third quarter, pulling to within 62-57 after Kaman hit one-of-two free throws with 5:53 left, but Finley and Parker answered with back-to-back jumpers. The Spurs extended their lead back out to 72-61 entering the fourth quarter.

The Clippers closed the first quarter with a 11-3 run, with Jason Hart scoring six points on the run, and took a 22-21 lead into the second quarter after a Brand layup with 13 seconds left.

Parker scored the last six Spurs points of the second quarter, including a driving layup with six seconds left, and San Antonio took a 50-40 lead into the break.

Game Notes

LA fell to 8-22 as a visitor on the season...The Clippers made only 3-of-11 three-pointers...The Spurs swept the season series, and have won 13 of the last 14 meetings.