According to an old Hawaiian proverb, what goes up must come down. Judging by the way the Los Angeles Clippers tripped up the Portland Trail Blazers 114-107 in Los Angeles tonight, my ancient ancestors
might have been on to something. Kawhi Leonard led the way for LA with 30 points and 10 rebounds while the Blazers countered with 23 points from Deni Advija, but that turned out to be less than required to maintain altitude on this particular flight. Below are a few observations from the game, with an extended analysis to follow here soon.
Player of Note
Blazers forward Deni Avdija had his usual all-around game, adding 7 rebounds and 5 assists to his 23 points (on 7-16 shooting), but guard Blake Wesley turned in the most notable 5-point game imaginable by playing defense like he was on fire.
Stat of the Night
There were several contenders for this distinction, but one that jumps out with a lot of future significance is the free-throw disparity. Relentless rim attacks by the Blazers resulted in a 14-point advantage from the line. The outside shooting apparently varies somewhat from game to game (Portland shot just 26.8% from deep tonight on 41 attempts), but this free-throw advantage is likely to pay dividends going forward.
What We Noticed
The waves were breaking for the Blazers in the second quarter. After losing the first quarter by 11, the Blazers won the second by 16 with a lot of the damage inflicted without a center on the floor. The result wasn’t quite the same in the second half, but this is something we’ll be seeing again.
Up Next
The Blazers stay in Los Angeles to take on the Lakers tomorrow. Start time is 7:30 p.m. Pacific.
