Clippers are at least consistent

If the Clippers were going to use Monday night’s game, as Cuttino Mobley put it, “to see where we’re at,” they’re not going to like the answer.

Threatening to make last Friday’s 29-point loss in San Antonio look like the good old days for the Clippers, the Spurs toyed with them once more and beat them by 22, 103-81, in Staples Center.

Making the comparison more painful for the Clippers, the Spurs were coming off Sunday’s 106-99 loss to the Lakers, after which Coach Gregg Popovich said his team “absolutely folded under their pressure.”

One night later, Popovich’s team unfolded itself and stomped the Clippers, who were without center Chris Kaman (illness) and sixth man Corey Maggette (bruised knee).

The Spurs took a 23-point lead before halftime and were never threatened, shooting 52% and 47% on three-pointers.

The Clippers, meanwhile, fell to 10-10.

In San Antonio, the Spurs had 31 assists and six turnovers. Monday night it was 26 and nine (to the Clippers’ 20-16).

Brent Barry came off the bench to lead all scorers with 24 points, seven fewer than the combined total of the Clippers reserves, who played 93 minutes.

In the really bad news for the Clippers, Coach Mike Dunleavy, who complained about his team’s effort in San Antonio where it trailed by 35 points, said effort wasn’t the problem this time.

“Going into the game, we were a little short-handed with Kaman out, Maggette out and Tim Thomas playing with a really bad hand. We played them at full strength at their place and they beat us.

“We obviously have a lot of work to do to catch up to them in any way.”

Said Elton Brand: “We’re a long way away from where we were at this time last year. And it all starts with defense. ...

“With the injuries, [starting training camp in] Russia, we don’t want to start making excuses but it’s been tough to get our defensive sets down.”

It wasn’t a grim and determined bunch of Spurs who showed up Monday night, just the usual businesslike professionals. Popovich, asked about playing back-to-back games here, said, “It’s one more dinner.”

Popovich also said he was moving Francisco Elson back into the starting lineup at center, over Fabricio Oberto. Asked why, Popovich noted, “Neither of them is Nate Thurmond.”

Dunleavy had left San Antonio last week bristling at his team’s effort.

“If you don’t understand the way they play, you’ll get hurt that way because of the speed of [Manu] Ginobili and [Tony] Parker, their ability to stretch the floor with three-point shooters and their inside game with [Tim] Duncan,” Dunleavy said before Monday night’s game.

“They have all the components you need to be successful at the championship level.”

And the Spurs seemed bent on showing the Clippers all their components all over again.

With Kaman ill, Dunleavy had to start 6-foot-9 Aaron Williams against the 7-foot Duncan and try to help him out. On the first possession of the game, the ball went into Duncan and Quinton Ross dropped off his man, Parker, to help out. Duncan threw the ball back out to Parker, who hit a 17-footer.

The next time down, Duncan scored on a layup.

On the Spurs’ third possession, Parker scored on a layup.

On their fourth possession, Brand blocked Bruce Bowen’s layup. The ball bounced out to Ginobili, who hit a three-pointer.

By then it was 9-2 and getting worse for the Clippers by the minute. The Clippers, who had trailed, 33-22, after the first quarter in San Antonio, trailed 32-17 after the first quarter Monday.

Midway through the second quarter the Spurs had it up to 45-22. Only a late run got the Clippers as close as 59-42 at the half.

mark.heisler@latimes.com