The Clippers handed out their second loss in three games to the Trail Blazers on Tuesday with a 133-116 result. Portland fell behind early in Los Angeles, handing 47 points to Paul George and the Clippers in the opening frame. The Blazers managed to claw back within a few figures, but the Clippers’ overall defensive approach against Damian Lillard kept Portland’s return effort out of the point.
Individually, Norman Powell picked up the scores for the Blazers by 32 points. Lillard, who was under pressure throughout the night, was kept at 11 points. For the Clippers, George and Kawhi Leonard scored 65 points together.
You can see the breakdown of the term-by-term in our immediate summary. Along with the analysis, here are the key points that stood out in the Clippers ’17-point win over the Blazers.
Post-seasonal print
The attack on Blazers got an early foretaste of the defense after the season on Tuesday. The Clippers, from the opening spot, focused on getting the ball out of Lillard’s hands early and regularly. This is not something new for the Blazers, but the game plan has largely derailed Portland’s offense.
Derrick Jones Jr. won the Aminu-all-alone award – one could say that Jones earned a AAA rating from Los Angeles. The Clippers dared the former Heat forward to shoot every time he was on the floor, and Jones rarely made Los Angeles pay for it.
On the bright side, Powell and Enes Kanter used most of their increased role. Powell easily cut the Clippers’ defense and mixed things up with catch-and-shoot attempts from outside the arc. Although it did not appear in the final result, Powell has the tools to thrive when opponents are sold out to stop Lillard. The former Raptors guard finished with 32 points and four rebounds.
McCollum takes the reins
With Lillard suffocated, McCollum filled in as chief facilitator. Make no mistake, the former Lehigh standout is a dynamic attacking player. But the gravity he produces differs drastically from his running mate. Yet McCollum and Kanter performed a handful of two-man actions to perfection. Kanter, who carved another double double night, consistently delivered favorable appearances in pick-and-roll sets.
As a facilitator, McCollum scored six assistants and made just one turnover. On top of that, he added 24 points of his own to the final score.
Print the margins
The Blazers won the offensive kickback, attempted seven more free kicks and committed less turnover in Tuesday’s loss. Despite the favorable trio of outcomes, the Blazers ended up on the wrong side of a double-digit margin. On paper, this is a perfect account of the problems that bad defensive teams have to face against quality opponents.
Before the Blazers could succeed, the Clippers scored 47 points in a single quarter. Paul George scored 22 points before realizing Portland’s first doubles. Even after an improved defensive performance in the final three quarters, the Clippers still managed to shoot 51.7 percent off the field.
Absent bench
Before the Blazers drew with four minutes in the final frame, the Blazers had only six players with a double-digit minute. For the context, the Clippers had nine players over ten minutes at the same intersection. In the points column, Portland’s reserves yielded 21 points on 24 attempts off the field. Reggie Jackson, who played 26 minutes off the bench for the Clippers, scored 23 points on 12 attempts off the field.
Following
Box count
The Blazers return to action on Thursday to face the Jazz.