INGLEWOOD — It was a random suggestion, maybe even silly. Should either James Harden or Norman Powell, the Clippers’ best offensive threats, be on the court at all times?
While not a serious question, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is searching for ways to secure victories, especially down the stretch. On Monday, he might have stumbled upon a solution, and it didn’t involve his number one option.
A group of four bench players and center Ivica Zubac got the Clippers back into a game that was slowly slipping away, trimming a double-digit deficit to five points early in the fourth quarter.
Then Powell re-entered the game and the veteran guard pushed the Clippers to a 113-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at the Intuit Dome, their first regular-season victory in their new arena.
The victory, after falling behind by 26 points in the first quarter, snapped a three-game losing streak for the Clippers (3-4).
Powell scored nine points in the fourth quarter and finished with a team-high 23 points, his sixth straight game with 20 points or more.
Harden came back in and scored five of his 17 points in the final 6:45. He also had eight rebounds and four assists. Zubac finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
After struggling to close out games early in the season, Lue was looking for ways the team can maintain leads. He said they need all the scoring they can get down the stretch.
Maybe at the start of games, too.
Their offensive woes popped up in the first quarter as the Spurs opened a 14-point lead en route to a 40-14 advantage at the end of the first period. And that was with both Harden and Powell in the game.
Both players got off to slow starts. They were slow-footed against the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs and were outplayed by 39-year-old Chris Paul, who had 12 points and 10 assists.
Wembanyama finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocked shots
Harden was scoreless and didn’t get any assists in the first 12 minutes and had just five points at halftime. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds and two assists. Powell shook off his slow start, having scored five points in the opening half.
But Harden and Powell weren’t the only ones struggling. The Clippers made only two field goals in the first quarter, while the Spurs made five 3-pointers in the first quarter.
Frustrated with what he saw on the court, Lue replaced four starters with Amir Coffey (21 points), Kevin Porter Jr., Nico Batum and Kris Dunn. Zubac stayed in the game. That lineup managed to slow the Spurs and pulled within 12 with 7:34 left in the half.
Lue put Harden and Powell back in and the two responded with key baskets to pull the Clippers closer, 56-48.
Lue said before the game that he wanted to rely on the veteran duo, especially down the stretch.
“It all depends on the flow of the game,” Lue said. “We are trying to stay in the game and it’s hard to take one of those guys off the court. But just in the fourth quarter, trying to have James or Norm on the floor, along with Zu and Scoot (Kevin).”
The Clippers went on a 33-9 run during a nine-minute span late in the third quarter until the four-minute mark of the fourth. Powell’s 3-pointer with 7:25 remaining gave the Clippers their first lead at 93-91. They went ahead for good (96-93) with 6:26 left on a Coffey 3-pointer.
The Clippers outscored the Spurs 31-18 in the fourth, shot 19 for 37 from 3-point range for the night and grabbed a season-high 16 offensive rebounds.
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The Spurs were without Greg Popovich, their longtime coach, on the bench. Popovich suffered an undisclosed health issue Saturday and is not expected back soon. Mitch Johnson is the team’s interim head coach for an indefinite period.
Popovich, 75, did not travel with the team for games against the Clippers and Houston Rockets.
Popovich, in his 29th season, all with the Spurs, is the NBA’s career leader with 1,390 victories and another 170 postseason wins to go with his five NBA championships (all with the Spurs).
Johnson said Popovich was in “good spirits” when they spoke Sunday night.
“He’ll be OK. He is OK and we can’t wait to have him back,” Johnson said.
In the meantime, Johnson said it will be “regular scheduled programming” in Popovich’s absence.
More to come on this story.