Spurs know Clippers will be tough to beat in Game 4

1/19

Spurs forward Boris Diaw drives against Clippers center DeAndre Jordan during Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals in San Antonio on April 24.

(Chris Covatta / Getty Images)

2/19

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan pulls down an offensive rebound in front of Spurs forward Tim Duncan in the first half of Game 3.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

3/19

Clippers forward Blake Griffin battles Spurs point guard Tony Parker, right, and center Tiago Splitter for a loose ball during the second half of Game 3.

(Larry W. Smith / EPA)

4/19

Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard drives the baseline against Clippers forward Matt Barnes in the second half of Game 3.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

5/19

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili tries to split the defense of Clippers guards Austin Rivers, left, and Chris Paul in the second half of Game 3.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

6/19

Clippers forward Blake Griffin pulls down a rebound against Spurs forward Tim Duncan during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round playoff series in San Antonio on April 24.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

7/19

Clippers point guard Chris Paul drives down the lane against Spurs guard Danny Green (14) for a layup between center Tiago Splitter, left, and forward Tim Duncan (21) during Game 3.

(Chris Covatta / Getty Images)

8/19

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan tries to box out Spurs forward Tim Duncan for a rebound in Game 3.

(Chris Covatta / Getty Images)

9/19

Spurs point guard Tony Parker tumbles over Clippers point guard Chris Paul after colliding with him as they chased after a loose ball in the first half of Game 3.

(Larry W. Smith / EPA)

10/19

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan scores against Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, left, and center Tiago Splitter in the first half of Game 3.

(Larry W. Smith / EPA)

11/19

Clippers point guard J.J. Redick checks the scoreboard as Spurs fans celebrate a basket in the first half of Game 3.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

12/19

Clippers point guard Chris Paul is defended by Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, the NBA‘s defensive player of the year, in the first half of Game 3.

(Chris Covatta / Getty Images)

13/19

Clippers starters (from left) DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul watch from the bench during the fourth quarter of Game 3.

(Larry W. Smith / EPA)

14/19

Clippers guard J.J. Redick has his shot challenged by Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series in San Antonio on April 24.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

15/19

Clippers forward Blake Griffin elevates for a shot over Spurs forward Tim Duncan in the first half of Game 3 on Friday night in San Antonio. (Darren Abate / Associated Press)

16/19

Spurs forward Tim Duncan passes out of the double-team defense by Clippers forward Matt Barnes and center DeAndre Jordan in the first half of Game 3.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

17/19

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers talks to his players on the court during Game 3.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

18/19

Spurs forward Tim Duncan discusses strategy with point guard Tony Parker (9) during the first half of Game 3.

(Darren Abate / Associated Press)

19/19

Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) attempts a layup after driving down the lane against Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and forward Blake Griffin (32) in the first half of Game 3.

(Chris Covatta / Getty Images)

By Broderick Turner

Staff Writer

April 25, 2015 11:55 AM PT

Reporting from San Antonio —

For the San Antonio Spurs, the playoffs are all about maintaining the right balance.

The Spurs still have deep concerns about facing the Clippers on Sunday in Game 4 here, knowing that the 2-1 lead San Antonio earned from a throttling of Los Angeles in Game 3 doesn’t mean the best-of-seven series has been decided.

“We can still lose this series,” Manu Ginobili said after San Antonio’s practice Saturday. “It can easily happen. But we know we are the same [team] that won last year. We can do it again. But there’s no sense of so high or so low.”

If anything, being the defending NBA champions has taught the Spurs how difficult it can be to win a series.

Just because they beat the Clippers by 27 points Friday, and just because Kawhi Leonard was a force in scoring a playoff career-high 32 points, doesn’t mean the Spurs will win Game 4.

“Everything went our way. Sometimes it happens,” Ginobili said about Game 3. “The important thing now is to react well, to not get arrogant or think that now we have them. Because it’s not even close.

“They’re going to be hurt, they’re going to be upset, they’re going to come back hard, the same way we came back from Game 1 to 2. We’re going to have to play with the same intensity and hopefully make adjustments.”

Twitter: @BA_Turner

Spurs know Clippers will be tough to beat in Game 4

More to Read

More From the Los Angeles Times