Griffin has big game in win

Blake Griffin, the overall No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, had 23 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes to lead the Clippers to a 93-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in an exhibition Wednesday night.

In the closing seconds, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan stuffed Curtis Jerrells’ layup attempt that would have given the Spurs the lead, then made two free throws with 5.1 seconds left. Jerrells missed a three-point shot at the buzzer.

Griffin scored 10 points in the first quarter and had 13 in the third. The Clippers outscored the Spurs, 29-26, in the fourth quarter behind 13 points from Al Thornton.

“It was cool,” Griffin said of his first-quarter, head-to-head matchup with perennial All-NBA forward Tim Duncan. “I’ve watched him for as long as I can remember, since I was 8 years old and he was in his first year in the league. It was really cool to go up against him.”

Richard Jefferson, acquired by San Antonio from Milwaukee in an off-season trade, scored 15 points in 16 minutes, all in the first half. Rookie DeJuan Blair had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs.

Jordan, a second-year player from nearby Texas A&M;, finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Neither Jefferson nor Duncan, who had six points and five rebounds in 17 minutes, played in the second half. Tony Parker did not play at all for the Spurs.

Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman sat out for the Clippers.

Griffin, who didn’t play in the second quarter, had a thunderous dunk at the beginning of the third.

Later in the quarter he converted another alley-oop, this one one-handed off a pass from Ricky Davis.

“We have to make plays like that,” said Griffin, who made five of six shots in the third period and 10 of 14 overall.

“It was great that we kept it somewhat close throughout the game, and we made the plays that gave us the momentum.”