The Clippers rebound from a 26-point deficit against the Spurs to win their first Intuit

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The LA Clippers have always made things difficult.

Why should trying to win for the first time in their new home be any different?

It took five tries, but the Clippers finally prevailed, overcoming a 26-point deficit in a 113-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night at the Intuit Dome.

“That’s the Clippers way. We can’t make it easy, we always have to bounce back and be dramatic, but a win is a win,” said center Ivica Zubac, who had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Owner Steve Ballmer joked with players before the game that he thought his new $2 billion building was cursed and he might have to tear it down and start over. While that helped lighten the mood, the Clippers knew the pressure was mounting to come through.

“I’m just glad we got rid of it. Now we can go out and play freely. I think we got it done in the second half,” said James Harden, who had 17 points.

The Spurs led 40-14 at the end of the first quarter before the Clippers fought back. It was LA's greatest comeback as it came from behind at the end of the first quarter, surpassing the 23-point deficit it had after 12 minutes on February 9, 2019 in Boston.

However, amazing comebacks have become a hallmark of Tyronn Lue's five seasons as Clippers coach.

On January 25, 2022 in Washington, they trailed by 35 points in the first half before winning 116-115. Last season, they also trailed by 26 in the third quarter against Cleveland before rallying for a 120-118 win.

According to Sportradar, Monday's comeback was the Clippers' third-largest comeback since 1996.

“We played well and hard at home but came up short in four games. We just stuck with it,” Lue said.

The Clippers cut the lead to eight at halftime and were within four early in the fourth quarter.

From late in the third quarter to the four-minute mark of the fourth, LA went on a 33-9 run in a nine-minute span to take control.

It was San Antonio's largest lead at the end of the first quarter and the fourth largest of any deficit in Spurs history.

“This is a very well-coached team with many veterans who have played at a high level in many games. There are a lot of runs in the games. I think we can learn something about the attention to detail and consistency of simple basketball,” said Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson, who took over head coaching duties after Gregg Popovich was sidelined indefinitely due to illness.

The Clippers' next home game will also attract increased attention. They host Philadelphia on Wednesday night after Paul George made his season debut for the 76ers on Monday night in a loss at Phoenix.

George played five seasons with the Clippers before signing with Philadelphia in the offseason.

“He was a great teammate, a great friend. It will be fun to play against him,” said Zubac.