The Portland Trail Blazers notched a satisfying win over the Los Angeles Clippers in L.A. on Tuesday night, walking away with a 114-104 victory. The win kept the battle for postseason positioning in the Western Conference interesting. The 39-38 Blazers are now within a half game of the Clippers for 8th place in the playoffs seeding race.
A very good start for the Blazers saw them jump out to a 10-5 lead, thanks to a Toumani Camara three, aggressive drives from Deni Avdija to get to the line, and pesky
defense holding the Clippers in check. As the teams settled into the game, it became a back-and-forth affair with neither team getting their nose out too far in front in the first quarter. 46.7% shooting from deep for the frame suited the Blazers just fine, while a surprising 10 first quarter points for Brook Lopez paced Los Angeles. Portland took a modest but well-earned 34-31 advantage into the second quarter.
Portland’s effort in the second quarter could best be described as “scrappy”. A prime example was an offensive possession for the Blazers up six, consisting of a miss from three from Henderson, an attempted tip in heavy traffic from Avdija, followed up by another tip off his own miss for the bucket. Portland kept up the energy on both sides of the court and just out-worked the Clippers, building the lead to an impressive 18 before a tip-in for the Clippers just before the halftime horn settled the score at 62-46. Portland’s defense was stout in the quarter, making every Los Angeles foray into the lane an adventure, encouraging the Clippers to settle for contested threes which they usually missed.
Could the Blazers hold on to the big lead in the 3rd quarter? Not exactly, but it wasn’t fatal. The Clippers looked more composed and up for the fight out of the locker room, and their patience on the offensive end helped cut the Los Angeles deficit to eight. The Blazers’ resiliency after seeing their lead get whittled kept Los Angles at arm’s length for most of the quarter, if just. But a rear-guard action from the Blazers at the end of quarter, including a buzzer-beater three from Henderson, saw Portland get the lead back up to 91-74 at the end of three.
Two quick threes from Jrue Holiday set the tone for the fourth quarter. The Clippers, and especially Kawhi Leonard, would huff and puff, but Portland had enough to answer every challenge. Los Angeles got it down to 10, but not any closer.
Blazer of the Night
Deni Avdija was great with a performance that will warm the hearts of Blazers fans. He was relentless attacking the rim, even during periods when he wasn’t getting a friendly whistle. 28 points, 12 free throw attempts, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and only 2 turnovers was his well-earned stat line. His numbers dipped in the fourth quarter, but only because the Clippers made stopping him their highest priority. An All-Star performance of the type that’s been missing too often since his return from his injury issues.
Stat of the Night
The Blazers’ effort was well illustrated by their rebounding advantage. Portland enjoyed an 56-38 advantage overall, 18 of the offensive variety. Handily winning the battle of the boards was a massive factor in the win.
What We’ll Remember
Non-stop effort. 32 second chance points, dominating the boards, and countless hustle plays will leave a lasting impression. The Blazers won’t be the most talented team in the post-season, but if they can muster 48 minutes of effort like they gave tonight you can’t help thinking… so you’re telling me there’s a chance?
Up Next
The Blazers are back home at Moda Center for a tilt against the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:00 PM PDT on Thursday.
