Trail Blazers try to even season series with Clippers
By Ryan Allison
The Portland Trail Blazers host the Los Angeles Clippers tonight at 7:30 p.m. PST. The Trail Blazers have won four straight and continue to hold on to the second best record in the NBA. The Clippers haven’t underachieved but have not been all that impressive in the first half of the season. The game will have a national audience as it will be broadcast on ESPN, but you can also watch locally on KGW or tune in to Rip City Radio 620 AM to hear the call.
Three of the last four wins have not come easy for the Trail Blazers. Yet they continue to find ways to win and that has propelled this team to legitimate contention in the Western Conference. They have fought through numerous injuries, new lineups, and poor shooting games. This team is built to win in the regular season but will it all transfer to the playoffs?
Sunday, the Trail Blazers had another grind out game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Lillard once again brought the late game heroics to help his team win. He scored 17 points in the final 8:16 and finished with 34 points and seven assists. ESPN Stats & Info indicates that Lillard has scored 58 points in 67 clutch-time minutes this season. They define clutch-time as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter/OT, score within five points in either direction. Impressive numbers for the third year guard.
The Clippers are an intriguing team. They seem to have all the talent it takes to win and be one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Currently, the Clippers sit in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Their problem areas have been defense and rebounding, both of which I assumed they would excel in. They are 26th in rebounding (40.9) and 18th in points allowed (100.0). They do not have one player averaging a double-double and although you don’t need that to win, it seems like with names like Griffin, Paul, and Jordan they would be more productive.
In the first meeting of the season between these teams, the Clippers held on for a 106-102 victory at Staples Center. The Trail Blazers started hot and took a nine point lead into halftime. The Clippers regained their composure and outscored the Trail Blazers 53-40 in the second half. Redick boosted them with a huge spark and finished with a game-high 30 points. The power forward battle was another bright spot in that matchup and should be again tonight.
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Although Griffin has regressed slightly this season, he always presents a difficult matchup. He posted 23 points and and six rebounds in the first game. Alridge also had a very productive game, scoring 21 points and hauling in 10 rebounds. Griffin has not been a major rebounding threat this season (averaging 7.7) but he still is capable of going off any given night. Aldridge has been consistent but did have a small hiccup on Sunday against the Lakers, only scoring 15 points on 38.9 percent shooting. He will need to return to efficient production for the Trail Blazers to remain hot.
One last note about tonight’s game involves shoes. Lillard released his first signature shoe yesterday at the Adidas headquarters in Portland. His shoes will make their court debut tonight at the Moda Center. You can see photos of the event and the shoe here. Will they provide an extra boost to his game? I hope he kills it tonight.