LOS ANGELES — And Tyronn Lue talked about being frustrated before the game.

Just about everything was a struggle for his Clippers on Monday, when they made their final game at Staples Center as Staples Center (it will officially be Crypto.com Arena when the Clippers host Denver on Dec. 26) one to forget.

The 116-92 loss to the San Antonio Spurs (12-18) spoiled the return of All-Star Paul George and the festive nature of the pre-Christmas affair before a full house of 18,096.

The Clippers welcomed back George and Serge Ibaka to the lineup on Monday, both of whom played their first game since Dec. 6. George had been sidelined by a right elbow sprain, Ibaka because Lue dedicated all of his backup center minutes to Isaiah Hartenstein, leaving the veteran Ibaka as the odd big man out.

George, sporting freshly shorn hair reminiscent of his pre-Clippers seasons, finished with 25 points (right on his season average) on 8-for-18 shooting in 31 minutes. Ibaka finished with four points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.

The Clippers went 3-2 without George, but they came into Monday having lost two in a row.

And still they remained short-handed, taking on the Spurs without Marcus Morris Sr., who entered the COVD-19 health and safety protocols on Saturday having scored at least 20 points in five of his previous seven games.

They also missed Hartenstein, who suffered a sprained left ankle late in the Clippers’ loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday. And star wing Kawhi Leonard (ACL) and rookie guard Jason Preston (foot) have yet to play this season.

Lue, who preaches adaptability often, admitted before Monday’s game that having so many players in and out of the lineup this season has been frustrating.

“You can’t get a rhythm of how we want to play with all of our guys here,” Lue said. “But everyone’s dealing with the same thing … it is what it is, talked about the last two years just being able to adapt and we’ve done that, but it is frustrating.”

The Clippers were all the way out of sorts against Dejounte Murray and crew.

The Spurs’ young star had a 24-point triple-double (13 assists, 12 rebounds) to lead all five starters in double figures as San Antonio shot a relatively lukewarm 43.9% from the field and 32.4% from 3-point range. The visitors dominated the Clippers (16-15) on the boards, 67-43 (including 23-9 on the offensive glass, the most Lue’s squad has allowed this season), and finished with a decisive advantage in second-chance points (27-5).

The Spurs also punished the Clippers in the paint, 68-44, and turned the Clippers’ 14 turnovers into 12 points. The Clippers, meanwhile, scored only three points off the Spurs’ 12 giveaways.

It wasn’t at all the bounceback the Clippers sought after losing a heartbreaker to the Thunder on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer on Saturday.

Instead, it was San Antonio that rebounded resolutely, playing Monday in the second game of a back-to-back after its 121-114 loss in Sacramento on Sunday.

The Spurs led 62-48 at halftime, after Murray had 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including making all three of his 3-point attempts. He also had five rebounds and six assists before the intermission.

George went into the break with 12 points in 16 minutes and Jackson had 10 for the Clippers, who shot just 39.6% and were being outrebounded 36-25 in the first half.

San Antonio’s lead ballooned to 27 entering the fourth quarter after they outscored the Clippers 30-17 in the third.

Ivica Zubac finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, Terance Mann had 11 and Reggie Jackson scored 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting in 20 minutes.

Jakob Poeltl added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, while Doug McDermott scored 16 points.

More to come on this story.