Originally, after advancing, their opponent was the San Antonio Spurs...
Their opponent in the semi-finals was indeed the San Antonio Spurs... but Tim Duncan sprained his ankle in the first round of the series against the Jazz Team!
It couldn't be helped. With Battier gone, and the Spurs not getting Leonard as they originally planned, the team's defense faced a gap, forcing Tim Duncan to manage both interior and perimeter defense, while also having to cover Hayward's impacts on the wing and defend Al Jefferson in the paint. After enduring four to five games, his old knee injury flared up.
Because of this, even though the team eventually made it to the semi-finals, they lost Tim Duncan.
Without the "Stone Buddha," the Spurs couldn't withstand Little Si and Griffin in the paint. The two combined for an average of 50 points, directly crushing the Spurs' interior.
The Clippers also achieved their first trip to the Western Conference Finals in franchise history.
