Clippers Defense Cuffs Trail Blazers In Second Half in Big 117-97 Win

Key stats

Montrezl Harrell: 26 PTS, 9 REBS, 11-13 FG

Paul George: 25 PTS, 4 REBS, 6-7 3FG

Patrick Patterson: 19 PTS, 9 REBS (Clipper career highs), 5-7 3FG

Kawhi Leonard: 11 PTS, 9 REBS, 5 ASTS

Patrick Beverley: 11 PTS, 4 REBS

Lou Williams: 9 PTS, 7 ASTS

Game summary

1st Quarter

Game starts quick. Especially with the teams respective stars. Damian Lillard hit the first five for the Blazers, Paul George/Kawhi Leonard first 7 for Clips. LA is hot shooting early (6/7 FG to start) with Patrick Beverley also hitting a nice floater and open three. His shooting been much better as of late. Offensively, LA starts well but the defense is fairly eh. Blazers were getting where they want and hitting both easy and contested shots. Meanwhile, LA is cold (missed 7 straight FG’s — including two bad Ivica Zubac shots) and Portland takes the lead 20-19. Here’s something I didn’t expect, the Clips randomly missing a lot from the line. Usually a good free-throw shooting team, they missed 4 FT’s early. Hot offensive starts stalled a bit for both teams as their benches came on. Jerome Robinson and Lou Williams hit a few shots to put LA up by four 24-20 with 2 minutes left.

Dame finishes the frame with 10. Early burn for Terance Mann and Patrick Patterson as well. Montrezl Harrell fouled the absolute hell out of Melo on a drive. He was fine. Mann 3! Good to see him shooting with confidence. Meanwhile CJ McCollum starts off hot with 7 first quarter points. After a Trezz putback buzzer beater, the Clips are down one 30-29. Overall solid first quarter offensively. Defense left a lot to be desired but two good shooting teams will do that. Will be a shootout.

2nd Quarter

2nd unit is low energy to start. Definitely can tell they are missing JaMychal Green and Rodney McGruder. Especially on the defensive end. Carmelo Anthony started cooking early in the period with a quick five, including a nice and-one on PPat. After an easy McCollum layup, Doc burns a frustrated timeout down four. You know who’s not low energy? Trezz. Quick 6 on 3-3 shooting (0-3 from FT line though). Blazers are matching every Clips bucket with easier shots and threes sadly. Lou is trying to save the day with five straight to keep the game tied as well as PPat who is eating offensively right now (10 pts on perfect shooting). Game is super back and forth with little defense. 52-47 with 5 minutes left in 2nd.

PG is so good. Is 3-3 from three early. Kawhi is only 1-7 from the field, yet Clips lead. #depth. Anfernee Simons, a certified Clipper killer, has seven early points. Tied at 57.

Make that 4/4 from three for PG. Needs to be shooting more, honestly. Blazers still answering every made shot with one of their own. Another Trezz putback at the buzzer to make it a three point lead for the Clips at the half 62-59. So much defense.

1st Half Stats

Paul George: 15 PTS, 4 REBS, 4/4 3FG%

Montrezl Harrell: 12 PTS, 3 REBS, 6/7 FG%

Patrick Patterson: 10 PTS, 3/3 FG%

Kawhi Leonard: 7 PTS, 5 ASTS

Lou Williams: 7 PTS, 3 REBS, 3 ASTS

3rd Quarter

Clips start hot with a Zu jumpshot (!) and a PG three and dunk (that’s 5/5 from deep). Clips open up 10 point lead and Terry Stotts burns a timeout after a minute and a half. Defense tough to start (especially Zu), Blazers not getting any easy shots. CJ stops Blazers bleeding with a wide-open three (Clips still give up too many of those). Kawhi answers right back with one of his own. Clips boiling from three as Bev knocks one down as well. Whiteside doing some things inside keeping the blazers in it, Clips up 7 halfway through the frame. Offenses have cooled off considerably. Trezz matching Whiteside’s energy after subbing in. Absolutely flying to the rim. PG finally misses first three, doesn’t matter as the Blazers then turn the ball over and Trezz get’s some FT’s. Clips D really tightened up this frame - Portland with only 14 points with two minutes left, forcing turnovers as well.

Jerome is playing good defense but still cold shooting the ball. Like that he’s getting minutes and not afraid to shoot, just not going down right now. Lou-Trezz pick-and-roll results in an and-one, Clips look like they are in control right now. Trezz is only 2-9 from the line but it’s awesome he is getting there this much. Blazers have no answer for him…except to foul him. I sound like a broken record but Trezz had another tip-in near the buzzer to put the Clips up 13, 89-76. What a quarter. Only 17 Blazers points.

4th Quarter

It’s Trezz’s world, we are just living in it. Has 25 and 7 in 25 minutes. A PPat three (his third) makes it an 18 point game. Here’s something cool: Kawhi only has 11, Lou only has 7 yet the Clippers are up 20. This team is deep deep. Clips defense is detaining everyone on the Blazers rn. They shot 52% in the first half, now at 41.1% for the game. Someone do the math on that but that’s BAD. Everything coming easy as hell for LA right now. Patterson with ANOTHER three. He’s been on fire lately. The Blazers put Mario Hezonja in the game with seven minutes left, so they’ve essentially conceded.

PG with five straight (6/7 from three), Patterson with ANOTHER f’ing three for a Clipper career high of 19 points. Also has seven rebounds. Doing a fantastic job of filling in for JMyke. Seeing some Mfioundu Kabengele and Derrick Walton Jr. minutes! Huge Mann dunk to go along with a Fi three. This second half has been absolute butter. Even the end of bench guys look good. Clips win by 20, 117-97. Now 13-1 at home.