The Trail Blazers caught LA at a vulnerable time in their season during their last meeting. Since then, the Clippers have rallied off four wins against some below-average competition. After four strong team-oriented victories, the Clippers shouldn’t fall into the same trap as in their last meeting with the Blazers.
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LA Clippers def. Portland Trail Blazers
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Head-to-Head: Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers
| Portland Trail Blazers |
Head-to-Head |
LA Clippers |
| Chauncey Billups |
Head Coach |
Tyronn Lue |
| 5-5 (9th in West) |
Standing |
5-4 (7th in West) |
| W-W-L-L |
Form |
W-W-W-W |
| 110.4 (6th of 30) |
Off Rtg |
105.2 (21st of 30) |
| 107.5 (15th of 30) |
Def Rtg |
100.8 (3rd of 30) |
| 99.9 (11th of 30) |
Pace |
101.7 (6th of 30) |
|
Leaders (Per Game)
|
| C. McCollum (22.1) |
PPG |
P. George (27.0) |
| J. Nurkic (11.9) |
RPG |
P. George (8.2) |
| D. Lillard (8.5) |
APG |
P. George (5.2) |
| J. Nurkic (1.6) |
SPG |
P. George (2.7) |
| C. McCollum (0.9) |
BPG |
S. Ibaka (1.0) |
| C. Zeller (.613)/C. McCollum (8.4) |
FG%/FGM |
I. Zubac (.638)/P. George (9.9) |
| N. Powell (.436)/C. McCollum (3.9) |
3P%/3PM |
L. Kennard (.475)/P. George (3.2) |
Injury Report
| Player |
Team |
Date |
Status |
Info |
| K. Leonard |
LA Clippers |
28 Sep 2021 |
Out (Right Knee) |
There is no timetable for Leonard’s return after undergoing surgery on his right ACL over the offseason. |
| J. Preston |
LA Clippers |
7 Oct 2021 |
Out (Foot) |
Preston is expected to miss a significant amount of time after having surgery on his right foot. |
| M. Morris |
LA Clippers |
6 Nov 2021 |
Day-to-Day (Rest) |
The Clippers held Morris out of their Sunday (Nov 7) game. |
POR: Lean on the Starters
It’s no secret that the Portland Trail Blazers aren’t one of the deepest teams in the league, even though they’ve got some energetic players on their bench. Instead they’ll need to stagger the play of their starters to keep their bench unit competitive.
In their last game, a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Trail Blazers saw tremendous production from their starters. Their first five was an average plus-26.8 on the evening, compared to their bench, which was an average minus-0.6 for players who played more than ten minutes.
They’ll take on a Clippers team that is shorthanded in their own right. Portland can’t be complacent though, despite taking a game from the Clippers earlier this season. Allowing the starters to carry the load, even if it means limiting the bench unit, is key to victory.
Trail Blazers Key Player: (G) Damian Lillard
He’s been struggling all season, but Damian Lillard found his superstar shoes in a recent victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Against the Lakers Lillard posted 25 points, and added 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals on 9 of 19 shooting from the field. 24 of his 25 points were scored in the first and third quarter.
It was how Lillard opened the game and the second half that established Portland’s success through the game. If he can get the Blazers going early once again, they have a good shot at their second win over the Clippers this season.
LAC: Stop the Ball!
The LA Clippers want to extend their winning streak to five in a row. In order to do so, they need to stop the scoring threat of the Trail Blazers’ biggest stars.
The last time that LA met the Blazers they lost by 19. In their first meeting this season, the Clippers won by 30.
LA needs to bring back their effort from their first meeting with Portland where the Clippers held their opponents to 37.6% shooting from the field and 21.6% shooting from three. Guard play comes first, so the starting pair of Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe need to be on their game.
Clippers Key Player: (G) Luke Kennard
Many NBA fans and bettors rolled their eyes when Luke Kennard was handed an extension by the LA Clippers. While he still needs to find consistency as a contributor, he’s coming off of one of his best games of the season.
Kennard posted 18 points, 3 assists, and a steal in 27 minutes of play against the Hornets. He shot 50% from the field and nailed 6 of his 11 three-point attempts.
The Clippers can’t rely on George to do everything for them, but when Kennard has found his range he doesn’t have to. The fourth-year guard is a sharpshooter from three, if he can capitalize on his opportunities the Clippers’ offense is usually at its peak.
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