''I wasn't making many shots, but I wasn't taking that many either,'' said Ginobili, who was 0 for 8 from 3-point range in the first three games but had three Monday and finished with a team-high 17 points. ''I really wasn't that worried. I was happy that the team was playing as well as we were. We were 3-0 and winning those games with authority.''
The top-seeded Spurs advanced to the conference semifinals against the winner of the Memphis-Los Angeles Clippers series that could go until Sunday.
It was the West's second first-round sweep as Oklahoma City eliminated defending champion Dallas in four games.
The Spurs won Game 1 by 15 points, Game 2 by 31 and Game 3 by 12, relying on Parker, their MVP candidate, and the deepest bench in the league.
Parker had 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting, Tim Duncan added 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, and starters Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw and Danny Green combined for a total of eight points. The Spurs' bench picked up the slack, outscoring Utah's reserves 57-10 and finishing with 27 more points than their own starters.
''We've been a deeper team this year than we usually are and it sure came in handy tonight,'' Popovich said.
Clips lead Grizz 3-1
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Los Angeles Clippers' 10-point lead late in regulation had evaporated, and Blake Griffin stood helplessly at their bench with hands on hips after fouling out in overtime. A building full of red-shirted fans sat nervously, dreading another disaster for a franchise with more than its share.
Except Chris Paul wasn't around for any of the Clippers' bad times.
While everybody else worried, he calmly shepherded his club out of another perilous spot and onto the brink of something big.
Paul scored eight of his 27 points in a dynamic overtime performance, and the Clippers moved to the verge of their second playoff series victory in 36 years with a 101-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, taking a 3-1 series lead.
''It's fun, it's exciting,'' said Paul, who atoned for his inability to score at the regulation buzzer.
''The worst mistake I probably made in the game was not getting the shot at the end of regulation,'' he added. ''If I was at home watching it on TV, I'd be talking so bad about me. But you've got to get through it. The (best) thing about it is that I have teammates that have confidence in me. Everything that we do is a team win.''
Maybe so, but the Clippers were ever so grateful to rely on their All-Star point guard.
Griffin had 30 points and seven assists before fouling out with 2:26 left in overtime for the Clippers, who blew an 84-74 lead over the final 4 1/2 minutes of regulation before Paul took charge in the overtime. He played with the same intensity he showed late in regulation, heedlessly flinging himself over the front row of chairs in an attempt to save a loose ball.
''He's a great player, and that's what great players do,'' Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Memphis, with Game 6 back at Staples Center on Friday if nece
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