Clippers extend futility in San Antonio with 103-87 loss

Just like Utah . . . only with better weather.

Replace Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer with Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, and the story line of abject failure is nearly the same for the Clippers.

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FOR THE RECORD:
Clippers game: The score line above the article on the Clippers’ game against the Spurs in Tuesday’s Sports section listed the result as Clippers 103, San Antonio 87. The correct score was San Antonio 103, Clippers 87. —

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The Spurs’ 103-87 victory at AT&T Center on Monday night was their 14th in a row against the Clippers here, dating to Jan. 31, 2002.

Parker led the Spurs with 19 points, and Antonio McDyess, Roger Mason and Theo Ratliff combined for 32 points off the bench. Chris Kaman led the Clippers (12-15) with 23 points and 15 rebounds.

For the record, the Clippers have lost 12 straight games to the Jazz at Salt Lake City.

Still, after Monday’s flop, Kaman insisted this isn’t the same story as it is against the Jazz.

“It isn’t like Utah,” Kaman said. “It’s different. I feel like we match up better with these guys. I feel like we can beat these guys. Obviously, we haven’t done a good job of executing that and showing that. But I think we can do it.”

The Clippers trailed by 11 at the half and pulled to within eight points early in the third quarter, only to watch it unravel for good when the Spurs went on a 12-2 run.

“We played a good game in the first quarter,” Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “We made some changes in the bench and we go down by 14. Maybe you can get in some of these games where it’s tighter competition and our starters may have to play bigger minutes.”

The bench, as you might guess, is a growing concern.

Consistent recent production off the bench has been largely limited to Rasual Butler, who had 18 points against San Antonio.

In the Clippers’ overtime victory at Philadelphia on Saturday, Sebastian Telfair played 11 minutes, and Craig Smith, DeAndre Jordan and Brian Skinner did not see any minutes.

Jordan’s first appearance in a game since Dec. 13 was a rocky ride Monday. His three-minute stint in the first quarter featured two turnovers and a foul, leading to Skinner entering the game for him.

Jordan was hardly the only one who struggled with turnovers. San Antonio scored 19 points off 11 Clippers turnovers.

“DJ came in and unfortunately he didn’t give us what we needed to get,” Dunleavy said.

Since the game got out of hand in the third quarter, the extra minutes for the Clippers’ bench were slightly misleading. San Antonio’s bench outscored the Clippers, 41-27.

“Their bench is tremendous,” said Marcus Camby, who was limited to four rebounds. “I don’t think Duncan really played a lot tonight. Coming off the bench with [Manu] Ginobili and then you’ve got [Roger] Mason Jr., shooting the way he did.

“Even Theo Ratliff came in, a throwback from the past right there. Everybody had it going for them tonight

Camby betrayed the level of the Clippers’ frustration when he was called for a flagrant foul on Richard Jefferson with 28.1 seconds left in the third quarter.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt anybody,” Camby said. “It was frustrating. We thought we would put out a better performance than what we did. We can’t make mistakes against a great veteran team. They make you pay for every little mistake.

“That’s two times this year they pretty much had our numbers.”

Etc.

Is the rescue squad of one getting his cape ready back in Los Angeles?

Rookie power forward Blake Griffin, who has been out all season because of a stress fracture of his left kneecap, will have tests today, including a CT scan, which will determine his timetable.

The latest, very rough estimate, would have Griffin joining the lineup in mid-January. There are many hurdles before that happens, however.

“We expect that [test] to be very positive, for him to get the OK to put weight on his knee and ultimately putting full weight on it in practice,” Dunleavy said.

Meanwhile, a continuing theme is Dunleavy lamenting the abuse being handed out to Eric Gordon on the court without calls.

“It’s amazing how he never get calls,” Dunleavy said of Gordon. “I don’t know whether he’s got to be the squeaky wheel and start getting Ts and cursing people out. It’s amazing to me how a guy, who is a really good guy, who is a really good player, he doesn’t get calls.

“You’re not asking for the so-called superstar calls where you bail guys out. You’re asking for legit calls.”

lisa.dillman@latimes.com