SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Tony Parker scored 22 points on his 30th birthday, Tim Duncan had 18 and the San Antonio Spurs beat the fading Los Angeles Clippers 105-88 on Thursday night, pushing their winning streak to 16 and taking a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.

Chris Paul responded to his awful Game 1 with only a slightly better encore, scoring 10 points as the Clippers now head home desperate to steer out of what’s starting to get the feel of a sweep.

Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 20 points. His plan to manage his ailing knee so the All-Star would have enough steam for the fourth quarter proved moot, as both teams emptied their benches with another Spurs blowout assured.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Los Angeles.

The All-Star matchup of Paul vs. Parker went from a Game 1 bust to a lopsided mismatch that may have proved Paul is hurting more than he’s letting on. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro says his star is still struggling with an aching hip and groin, even as Paul insists he’s OK.

He again looked anything but. While Parker – the last of the Big Three to finally hit the big 3-0 – celebrated by more than tripling his seven points and dreadful 1-for-9 shooting in Game 1, Paul shot 4 of 9 and had just five assists.

At halftime, the third-place finisher in league’s MVP voting had more personal fouls (3) than point (2), assists (2) or rebounds (2).

Duncan, on the other hand, stayed in a playoff time warp. At 36 years old and playing in his 182nd postseason game – and with no contract beyond these playoffs – Duncan turned in another solid performance that sometimes recalled the former MVP who was going for his championships in his prime rather than the old-timer who’s chasing a fifth ring now.

He scored 14 points in the first half – almost as much as the rest of the starting lineup – and finished 9-of-14 shooting. Points in the paint weren’t even close: the Spurs had 50, and the Clippers 18.

Boris Diaw added 16 points and Danny Green had 13 for the Spurs. Manu Ginobili scored 10 and was held scoreless in the second half.

Randy Foye was the Clippers’ only other player in double digits, scoring 11.

If this keeps up, a near-historic postseason for the Clippers will end this weekend unless they figure out a plan fast.

This is only the third time in the woeful 41-year history of the franchise that Los Angeles’ long-maligned “other” team has survived to the second round. Their momentum started with a stunning 27-point comeback on the road against Memphis in their playoff opener, but the Clippers haven’t made a rally stick in San Antonio.

A bumbling start had the Clippers already down by 15 in the first quarter before clawing back with a 9-2 burst. Getting to within 46-42 at halftime had the Clippers’ bench heading to the locker room clapping and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich storming off fuming.

Halfway through the third quarter, however, the lead was back to 16.

“There was a refocus of energy at halftime,” Duncan said. “We came out understanding of what we had to do to finish this game.”

It was another methodical Spurs dissection, yet they’re not just sticking to what works. They’re still tinkering. Popovich put Splitter alongside Duncan to begin the second half instead of Diaw, who won the starting job at center once the playoffs began.

As the deficit deepened, so did the Clippers’ frustration.

DeAndre Jordan seethed and slammed the ball when a missed rotation gave Green an uncontested 3-pointer that stretched San Antonio’s lead to back to double digits in the third. Less than a minute later, Foye trotted upcourt shaking his head after Paul’s fumbled dribble gave Kawhi Leonard a clear path for a breakaway dunk.

Following another 3-pointer by Green- this one pushing San Antonio’s lead to 70-60 – the turned-around Clippers looked so disjointed that Green darted back down and knocked the ball out of Paul’s hands on the ensuing inbound.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has absolutely no interest in talking about his team’s winning streak, which reached 16 games Thursday with a 105-88 thrashing of the Los Angeles Clippers at the AT&T Center. When asked to, he served up a classic Popovich response: “No.” Point guard Tony Parker, who celebrated his 30th birthday by outplaying Clippers All-Star Chris Parker, was only slightly more verbose after the Spurs took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. “Why do you want me to answer that question?” he joked. “Pop will be mad at me then.” The details speak for themselves. Despite dominating the Clippers in all facets, San Antonio saw its margin of victory during the streak actually drop to 17.5 points per game. Parker led all scorers with 22 points, and Tim Duncan continued his strong postseason with 18. Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Saturday afternoon at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Game 4 will immediately follow on Sunday. “It’s a challenge, and we’re up for it,” Clippers forward Caron Butler said. They certainly weren’t on Thursday. The Clippers made several modest runs but were never able to seriously challenge San Antonio as Paul struggled through another subpar outing. Coming off a six-point, five-turnover performance in Game 1, Paul he had more fouls (three) than points (two) at halftime of Thursday’s game. He finished with 10 points and a career-worst eight turnovers. Paul appeared to lose his composure on the third foul, deliberately lowering his shoulder into Parker’s chest. “Just bad decisions,” said Paul, who averaged 19.8 points and 9.1 assists during the regular season. “They are shrinking the court and basically just packing it in. I just have to be more aggressive.” It didn’t help the Clippers‘ cause that power forward Blake Griffin, despite scoring a team-high 20 points, pulled down just one rebound in 37 minutes. “Blake knows he has to do a better job on the glass, and he will,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. The Spurs took control early, staggering the Clippers with a 14-0 run in the first quarter. Manu Ginobili hit a pair of free throws late in the period to give San Antonio its largest lead, 27-12. Duncan had 10 points at that stage as the Spurs amassed a 14-0 edge in paint points. The Clippers began to chip away late in the quarter, starting a 17-4 run that would whittle San Antonio’s advantage to four. Los Angeles engineered most of that stretch with Paul sitting on the bench. Their surge continued with eight of the first 10 points in the second quarter, with Nick Young’s three free throws capping what was a 17-4 run in its entirety. The Spurs led 33-29 at that point, and the Clippers would climb within two on multiple occasions as halftime approached. They nearly did it a third time in the final seconds, but they were forced to settle for 46-42 deficit at the break after DeAndre Jordan missed a pair of foul shots. Griffin, hobbled by a sprained knee, sparked the Clippers‘ push with eight points in the second quarter. However, his influence would wane as the game wore on. Paul’s woes continued in the third when Kawhi Leonard intercepted his behind-the-back pass and streaked down court for a dunk. The Spurs would take a 65-49 lead later in the quarter on Parker’s mid-range jumper. Paul finally came alive with eight points in the latter half of the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the Clippers fought back within 67-60. However, they could never make a decisive push, as the Spurs relied on their vaunted depth to keep Los Angeles at bay during the fourth. Five Spurs scored in double figures, and only Parker played more than 33 minutes. Boris Diaw had 16 points, Daniel Green had 13, and Ginobili added 10 for San Antonio. Randy Foye was the Clippers’ second-leading scorer with 11 points, while three of his teammates had nine apiece. Jordan grabbed a game-high seven rebounds. NOTES: The Spurs have won 27 of their last 29 games and 44 of their last 51. … Young had been scheduled to have a wisdom tooth removed between Games 1 and 2, but the procedure was delayed until the series shifts to Los Angeles.

SAN ANTONIO — The red-hot San Antonio Spurs continued their winning ways, crushing the Los Angeles Clippers 105-88 Thursday at the AT&T Center for their 16th consecutive victory. The Spurs lead 2-0 in the Western Conference semifinals. Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Saturday afternoon at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Five of San Antonio’s six postseason victories have come by double digits. Tony Parker led all scorers with 22 points, and Tim Duncan continued his strong postseason with 20. The Clippers made several modest runs but were never able to seriously challenge San Antonio, as All-Star point guard Chris Paul struggled through another subpar outing. He had more fouls (three) than points (two) at halftime, and he finished with 10 points and eight turnovers. Paul, slowed by a strained right hip flexor, appeared to lose his composure on the third foul, deliberately lowering his shoulder into Parker’s chest. Teammate Blake Griffin didn’t help matters, pulling down just one rebound in 37 minutes. He scored a team-high 20 points. The Spurs took control early, staggering the Clippers with a 14-0 run in the first quarter. Manu Ginobili hit a pair of free throws late in the period to give San Antonio its largest lead, 27-12. Duncan had 10 points at that stage as the Spurs amassed a 14-0 edge in paint points. The Clippers began to chip away late in the quarter, scoring seven of the final nine points. Their surge continued with eight of the first 10 points in the second quarter, with Nick Young’s three free throws capping what was a 17-4 run in its entirety. Los Angeles engineered most of that stretch with Paul sitting on the bench. The Spurs led 33-29 at that point, and the Clippers would climb within two on multiple occasions as halftime approached. They nearly did it a third time in the final seconds, but they were forced to settle for 46-42 deficit at the break after DeAndre Jordan missed a pair of foul shots. Griffin, hobbled by a sprained knee, sparked the Clippers’ push with eight points in the second quarter. However, his influence would wane as the game wore on. Paul’s woes continued in the third when Kawhi Leonard intercepted his behind-the-back pass and streaked down court for a dunk. The Spurs would take their largest lead, 65-49, later in the quarter on Parker’s mid-range jumper. Paul finally came alive with eight points in the latter half of the third, including a pair of 3s, as the Clippers fought back within seven. But they could never make a decisive push, as the Spurs relied on their vaunted depth to keep Los Angeles at bay during the fourth. NOTES: The Spurs have won 27 of their last 29 games and 44 of their last 51. … Duncan and Gregg Popovich have participated in 182 playoff games together, the most of any player/coach tandem in NBA history. Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers held the previous record with 180. … Young had been scheduled to have a wisdom tooth removed between Games 1 and 2, but the procedure was delayed until the series shifts to Los Angeles.

A look at the Western Conference semifinal series between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers (with regular-season and playoff records):

No. 1 SAN ANTONIO SPURS (50-16, 4-0) vs. No. 5 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (40-26, 4-3)

Season series: Spurs, 2-1. The Spurs won the first two meetings before the Clippers took the finale with a 120-108 victory March 9, a game that Tony Parker sat out with a sore thigh. That was the Clippers’ first win in San Antonio since Jan. 31, 2002, a span of 18 games. None of the games came after the Spurs added Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw later in the season, remaking their rotation.

Story line: The Clippers are in the second round for the first time since 2006 and just the third time ever, but it took them seven games to get there before beating Memphis on Sunday. Meanwhile, surging San Antonio had more than a week off after sweeping Utah and extending its current winning streak to 14 games.

Key Matchup I: Parker vs. Chris Paul. Parker will have an advantage in the matchup of speedy point guards, both top-five finishers in the voting for MVP, if Paul is limited by the right hip injury that bothered him late in the first round. He had 36 points and 11 assists in the Clippers’ victory in San Antonio that Parker sat out, but made only 9 of 29 shots in the other two games. Parker had 30 points and 10 assists in the Spurs’ 103-100 overtime victory at Los Angeles on Feb. 18 and scored a head-to-head victory over Paul in this round in 2008, when the Spurs beat Paul’s New Orleans Hornets in seven games.

Key Matchup II: Tim Duncan vs. Blake Griffin. Griffin’s injury problems seem even worse than Paul’s. Bothered by a sprained left knee, he played only two minutes of the fourth quarter in the Clippers’ Game 7 victory, and if he is robbed of too much of his athleticism, that eliminates one of the few advantages Los Angeles seems to have. Duncan is well-rested after playing only 30 minutes per game and averaging 14.3 points in the Spurs’ first-round rout.

X-Factor: The Clippers’ reserves. If Paul and Griffin are limited, the Clippers will need their subs to come through against the NBA’s best bench. Manu Ginobili and Co. are rarely outplayed, but the Clippers can match them if guys like Nick Young, Kenyon Martin, Mo Williams and Reggie Evans play the way they did Sunday, when the bench combined for 41 points, including all but two in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Spurs in 5.

1. San Antonio Spurs (def. Utah, 4-0, in first round) vs. 5. Los Angeles Clippers (def. Memphis, 4-3, in first round)

Season series: San Antonio, 2-1.

Key stat: San Antonio has won 14 consecutive games and has no intention of slowing down even though it leans heavily on the aging Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Outlook: This is a matchup between a franchise with serious pedigree … and the Clippers. The Spurs have won four NBA titles since 1999. The Clippers have never made it out of the second round of the playoffs. The gap between the organizations may be narrowing, but it’s still considerable. The Spurs can win in many ways, thanks to Tony Parker’s playmaking, Ginobili’s shot-making and Duncan’s ability to make players a decade younger look foolish. San Antonio also has a plucky rookie in Kawhi Leonard and a bench that sprung for 57 points in the Spurs’ series-clinching victory over Utah. Perhaps it’s no wonder San Antonio hasn’t lost in more than a month. The Clippers lost the season series with the Spurs but proved they can win in San Antonio, ending a 17-game losing streak there that dated to 2002 with a 120-108 triumph in March. And Clippers point guard Chris Paul, one of the game’s best closers, is probably eager to erase the memory of his pass directly to San Antonio’s Gary Neal in the final seconds of regulation in a February game the Spurs won in overtime.

Prediction: The Clippers’ playoff joy rides tend to be short. Spurs in five.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (def. Dallas, 4-0, in first round) vs. 3. Los Angeles Lakers (def. Denver, 4-3, in first round)

Season series: Oklahoma City, 2-1.

Key stat: The Thunder will have had eight days of rest after sweeping Dallas in the first round. That’s fine with center Kendrick Perkins [stats], who needed the additional recovery time for a strained right hip muscle sustained in Game 4 of the Mavericks series.

Outlook: Expect a big Oklahoma City welcome for Metta World Peace in Game 1. Not really. Thunder fans will unleash plenty of vitriol on the Lakers small forward who viciously elbowed James Harden in the head last month, earning a seven-game suspension. Assuming he remains on his best behavior, World Peace will play in the entire series after the Denver Nuggets forced a Game 7 in the Lakers’ first-round series. He’ll probably spend most of his time defending Kevin Durant. Like the Nuggets, the Thunder will try to push the pace and generate easy fastbreak baskets. Unlike the Nuggets, the Thunder have a pair of stars in Durant and Russell Westbrook who could make things miserable for the Lakers. Durant and Westbrook averaged a combined 51.6 points during the regular season, more than any other duo in the NBA. The Lakers still hold an advantage inside with 7-footers Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, presuming they decide to show up after disappearing for stretches in the first round.

Prediction: The second round will again be the place where the Lakers’ title aspirations go to die. Thunder in six.

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SAN ANTONIO (AP) Gregg Popovich doesn’t remember calling these San Antonio Spurs the worst defensive bunch in his 16 seasons.

”But you might be right,” said Popovich, laughing.

In other words, it’s not that far-fetched considering the defense Tim Duncan anchored in his heyday.

Yet while the NBA coach of the year really did lambast this defense as his worst following a loss to Milwaukee in January – ”We have a long way to go,” Popovich scowled – the Spurs have become at least good enough since then to carry the No. 1 seed with a 14-game winning streak into the Western Conference semifinals.

The start of that series remained unknown Friday, even though it’s been five days since the Spurs finished sweeping Utah in the first round. San Antonio was awaiting the winner of the Clippers-Grizzlies series.

The layoff has given the Spurs unparalleled practice time in this lockout-shortened season. They returned to the gym Friday for a session that players described as feeling more like training camp than an in-season practice. Tim Duncan slowly shuffled barefoot to reporters afterward, his 36-year-old knees wrapped in bags of ice.

Duncan said the Spurs are just trying to keep conditioned. Stay in rhythm, scrimmage 5-on-5 and fine-tune some plays.

And, of course, keep improving defensively.

”We’re not as good a defensive team as we have been in the past, four or five years ago,” Popovich said. ”We all know that. Because we know that, it seems wise to try and do something to improve your team, if it’s not going to be defense. We’re going to try to get better at it. What we are is pretty good in spurts.”

What now passes for passable defense in San Antonio is a level that half the coaches in league would likely embrace. The Spurs ranked squarely in the middle of the pack in team defense, allowing 96.4 points per game while letting opponents make 45 percent of their field goals, a category that Popovich has long valued above most.

It’s hardly the vaunted, lockdown defense the Spurs were famous for while winning three titles in five years. From 2003-04 until their last championship in 2007, the Spurs gave up fewer points than any team in the league except for 2006, when they finished a close second to Memphis.

But in 2009, when the Spurs were knocked out in the first round for the first time in nine seasons, Popovich began accepting the Spurs no longer had the age or personnel to keep dominating defensively. That’s when the shift began: Acquire more offensive firepower, increase the tempo and get easier baskets.

The last two seasons, San Antonio has averaged 103.7 points a game – the most since Popovich took over the Spurs in 1996.

Ginobili said the Spurs this season began picking up the slack defensively in March, when they finished by winning 23 of their last 27.

”I think we’re doing a pretty good job,” Ginobili said. ”Of course we’re not the best team in the yet, but we can still improve.”

Popovich’s scathing rip on the defense came after forward Stephen Jackson, then with the Bucks, lit up the Spurs for 34 points. Jackson brushed off those remarks as likely a motivating ploy by the coach he refers to as ”Obi Wan,” even though Jackson, like center Boris Diaw, hadn’t joined the Spurs yet.

Diaw hardly had a reputation for defense while playing for Phoenix and its oft-called ”Seven Seconds or Less” offense under then-coach Mike D’Antoni. Duncan said Friday that Diaw has become a better defensive player than he remembered facing, and Popovich has acknowledged Diaw’s contributions to San Antonio’s defense as a pleasant and unexpected surprise.

At least on what he used to regard as his worst defensive team.

”They must think I really wasn’t good at all,” Diaw said.