Clips Nation - Clippers-Blazers game coverage: Before the breakWhat it do babyyyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47967/clipsnation_fave.png2014-02-12T23:22:34-08:00http://www.clipsnation.com/rss/stream/51706432014-02-12T23:22:34-08:002014-02-12T23:22:34-08:00Clippers stifle Blazers down the stretch,122-117
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In a game where neither team could get any separation, the Clippers' defense was the difference as they pulled away from the Blazers in the final three minutes. The win lands the Clippers in a virtual tie with the Blazers for third in the Western Conference.</p> <p>Back on December 26th, the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Clippers</a> went into the Moda Center in Portland to play the <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Trail Blazers</a> after having lost a tough game the night before in the final seconds. Conventional wisdom says that the visiting team, playing their second game in a row, is not going to be able to play with a rested home team in that situation. However, the Clippers gave the Blazers everything they could handle that night, and led the game by three points in the final seconds, before a <span>Nicolas Batum</span> three pointer forced overtime and Portland eventually pulled away.</p>
<p>Tonight in Los Angeles, the roles were reversed. The Clippers were well-rested and playing at home, while it was the Blazers coming off a tough loss in the final seconds the night before. And once again the visitors were as competitive as a team can be. And once again the home team prevailed.</p>
<p>It could be very interesting if anything is riding on the third and final meeting of the season between these two teams in Portland on April 16, the final game of the season, because so far they've been as evenly matched as imaginable.</p>
<p>Portland star <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> had arguably his worst game of the season last night against the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a>, shooting just 5-22 from the field and missing all of his second half field goal attempts including several big shots down the stretch. So of course he came out on fire against the Clippers, making seven straight jumpers after missing his first shot. He even made a three pointer with a hand in his face as the shot clock was expiring, his second three of the season.</p>
<p>And Aldridge wasn't the only one making jumpers. The Blazers trailed by one at the end of the first quarter -- scoring 26 of their 30 points on jumpers.</p>
<p>And maybe this is why I haven't been able to get behind the Blazers this season. It just doesn't seem like a reasonable model -- despite the evidence that they keep playing very competitive basketball with it. The Clippers were getting dunks and layups and transition points -- and the Blazers were taking contested jumpers. Yet neither team could pull away, with the largest lead for each team being seven points.</p>
<p>(In fact, it seemed particularly unsustainable on this night. By my reckoning, the Blazers scored at least 11 points out of thin air as they sank three different three pointers and got fouled on a fourth on possessions where the Clippers played stellar defense for an entire shot clock and forced them into a difficult shot to beat the buzzer. The Clippers did everything right on those possessions -- with the exception of a reach in foul on <span>Chris Paul</span> -- yet gave up 11 points. I'm just glad the Clippers won the game, because I would be losing sleep tonight over those plays had they not.)</p>
<p>In the end, Portland couldn't keep making those difficult shots. After starting the game 7-8, Aldridge was just 3-10 the rest of the way. And down the stretch, when it mattered most, the Clippers defense really clamped down.</p>
<p>Portland took their final lead of the game at 115-114 on two <span>Damian Lillard</span> free throws with 3:15 remaining. For the remainder of the game, the Clippers held the Blazers to 1-8 shooting with the one make being an offensive rebound put back by Aldridge. Of the seven misses, four were deep three point attempts, and all were hotly contested -- by any definition, they were bad shots, which is why they missed them.</p>
<p>The Clippers also forced a turnover in that sequence, and it was probably the most important play of the game. With the Clippers ahead by one and having just squandered an opportunity to stretch the lead to three when Paul missed a pair of free throws, Paul redeemed himself by pressuring Lillard into mishandling the ball. With the ball loose on the ground, Paul dug it out, and kicked it ahead to a running DeAndre Jordan. The last two Clippers you would want handling the ball on a fast break with the game on the line would be Jordan and <span>Matt Barnes</span>, but they executed flawlessly: Jordan took one dribble before getting the ball to Barnes, who immediately lobbed it back up to the rim where Jordan flushed it for a three point lead with 84 seconds remaining.</p>
<p>The Clippers final 18 points of the game, scored over the final 6:26, consisted of two Jordan dunks, two <span>Blake Griffin</span> layups, one <span>Jamal Crawford</span> layup, two short jumpers in the lane by Paul, and four free throws. Oh, and Paul missed those two free throws also. That's exclusively points in the paint and free throws, while Portland was getting contested jumpers. They're an amazing jump-shooting team -- but in the end it's just a difficult way to win games.</p>
<p>The Clippers were led by the ever-improving Griffin, who scored 36 points on 13-21 from the field and 10-12 from the line. He also led the team with 10 rebounds. Crawford, starting in place of Redick, had another strong game with 25 points, and Paul, in just his second game back after missing 18 games with a separated shoulder, seemed as sharp as ever, with 20 points on 10-15 field goals while handing out 12 assists and coming up with three steals. For the Blazers, Aldridge finished with 25 and Lillard had 21. Lillard battled foul trouble all game and was limited to just 31 minutes, and he also turned the ball over six times as Paul once again won the battle at point guard.</p>
<p>With the win, the Clippers pull essentially even with the Blazers in a three way tie for third place in the Western Conference along with the red-hot <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a>. Technically, the Clippers are currently in fifth place, 0.6 percentage points behind both Houston and Portland. But in a virtual tie for third, just two games out of second, after having their starting guards miss 44 player games in the first two-thirds of the season, is a very good place for the Clippers to be -- especially if the team can finally get back to full health next week after the All Star break.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that the Clippers are exactly where they want to be heading into the break, but in context, it's pretty close. If you take yourself back to six weeks ago when Paul was first injured, it is actually difficult to imagine a better outcome heading into the All Star break. They're in the thick of the race for the top seeds in the playoffs, with Paul back as good as new and a fully healthy roster on the immediate horizon. There is ample reason to suspect that they can close the season as strong as any team in the league.</p>
<p>Can we just skip All Star Weekend and get on with the season already?</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/2/12/5407438/clippers-stifle-blazers-down-the-stretch-for-122-117-victorySteve Perrin2014-02-12T20:51:00-08:002014-02-12T20:51:00-08:00Clippers-Blazers second half open thread
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<p>This is the second half open thread for the game between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a>.</p>
<p>If you are the first one to arrive here in the new post, please link forward from the first half thread to the second half thread so that your fellow citizens know where to go.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/2/12/5406638/clippers-blazers-second-half-open-threadSteve Perrin2014-02-12T19:15:59-08:002014-02-12T19:15:59-08:00Clippers-Blazers open thread
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cE0tCr1SabqsiVKX3PxaKyCCQaU=/0x295:2742x2123/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28521979/20131226_pjc_sx3_211.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Spo</figcaption>
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<p>The Clippers head into the break almost healthy and playing some of their best basketball of the season. A win over the Blazers tonight can send a message that the LAC will be a major force after the break.</p> <table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table"><tbody>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2013/2014 NBA Regular Season</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif"></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <a target="_blank" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/233401/bahmh46cyy6eod2jez4g21buk.gif"><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/233401/bahmh46cyy6eod2jez4g21buk_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Bahmh46cyy6eod2jez4g21buk_medium"></a> <br id="1392161149007">
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>36-18</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>36-16</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>February 12th, 2014, 7:30 PM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>STAPLES Center</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Prime Ticket, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Win-Loss Breakdown</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>17-9</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>17-4</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>19-9</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>19-12</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>22-4</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>19-6</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>14-14</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>17-10</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>12-12</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>13-11</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>24-6</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500-</th>
<td width="240"><b>23-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>7-3</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">L10</th>
<td width="240"><b>5-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Damian Lillard</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Jamal Crawford</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Wesley Johnson</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Matt Barnes</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Nicolas Batum</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Blake Griffin</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>DeAndre Jordan</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Robin Lopez</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Advanced Stats</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">97.91 (9th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>97.91 (8th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">108.5 (3rd of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>108.6 (2nd of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">101.8 (8th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>105.3 (21st of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Injuries/Other</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; "><span>J.J. Redick</span> (hip) out</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Mo Williams</span> (personal) probable</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><br></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Joel Freeland</span> (sprained MCL) out</b></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Back Story (The Blazers lead the season series 1-0):</b></p>
<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>Date</b></td>
<td><b>Venue</b></td>
<td><b>Final</b></td>
<td><b><br></b></td>
<td><b><br></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>12/26/13</b></td>
<td><b>Portland</b></td>
<td><b>Blazers 116, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> 112 (OT)</b></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/12/27/5247182/clippers-lose-second-heartbreaker-in-two-nights-116-112/in/5009937"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/games/20131226/LACPOR/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>A second half thread is scheduled to post at 8:50. If you are the first one in the new post, please link forward from the first half thread to the second half thread so that your fellow citizens know where to go.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/2/12/5406610/clippers-blazers-open-threadSteve Perrin2014-02-12T11:17:50-08:002014-02-12T11:17:50-08:00Clippers-Blazers preview: Revenge served cold
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j4P1mZVsvoYe71evxB851qLLTHg=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28503041/20131226_pjc_sx3_343.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Spo</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Clippers can pull into a virtual tie with the Blazers for the third spot in the West with a win tonight in their final game prior to the All Star break. After losing a heart-breaker in Portland in December, L.A. would like nothing more.</p> <table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" cellpadding="5" align="center"><tbody>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center">2013/2014 NBA Regular Season</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif" alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium"></center></td>
<th width="20" align="center">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/233401/bahmh46cyy6eod2jez4g21buk.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="Bahmh46cyy6eod2jez4g21buk_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/233401/bahmh46cyy6eod2jez4g21buk_medium.gif"></a> <br id="1392161149007">
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>36-18</b></center></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>36-16</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center"><b>February 12th, 2014, 7:30 PM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center"><b>STAPLES Center</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center"><b>Prime Ticket, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center">Win-Loss Breakdown</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>17-9</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>17-4</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>19-9</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>19-12</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>22-4</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>19-6</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>14-14</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>17-10</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>12-12</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>13-11</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>24-6</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">.500-</th>
<td width="240"><b>23-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>7-3</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">L10</th>
<td width="240"><b>5-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Damian Lillard</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Jamal Crawford</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Wesley Johnson</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Matt Barnes</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Nicolas Batum</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Blake Griffin</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>DeAndre Jordan</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Robin Lopez</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center"><b>Advanced Stats</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">97.91 (9th of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>97.91 (8th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">108.5 (3rd of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>108.6 (2nd of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">101.8 (8th of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>105.3 (21st of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center"><b>Injuries/Other</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; "><span>J.J. Redick</span> (hip) out</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Mo Williams</span> (personal) probable</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><br></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Joel Freeland</span> (sprained MCL) out</b></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Back Story (The Blazers lead the season series 1-0):</b></p>
<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>Date</b></td>
<td><b>Venue</b></td>
<td><b>Final</b></td>
<td><b><br></b></td>
<td><b><br></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>12/26/13</b></td>
<td><b>Portland</b></td>
<td><b>Blazers 116, <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> 112 (OT)</b></td>
<td><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/12/27/5247182/clippers-lose-second-heartbreaker-in-two-nights-116-112/in/5009937" target="_blank"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20131226/LACPOR/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore" target="_blank"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Big Picture:</b></p>
<p>The Clippers haven't played a big game -- a game against a top opponent that they needed and were reasonably likely to win -- essentially since the last time they played the Blazers, back on December 26th. And even then, a victory wasn't overly likely given that the Clippers were playing the second game of a back-to-back. That game went into overtime when Nic Batum hit a late three pointer, and the Clippers eventually lost. Since then, the games they've played against the top teams in the league have all been while Chris Paul was hurt, and almost always on the road on a back-to-back. So they could be forgiven for losing to Indiana and San Antonio and Miami. This one is a different story. A win tonight and the Clippers essentially pull even with the Blazers in the standings (Portland would remain ahead in winning percentage). Given that Portland held a five game lead over the Clippers after that December game and that the Clippers have played 18 of the 23 intervening games without Paul and a bunch more without Redick, if would be pretty remarkable if the Clippers could catch the Blazers before the All Star break. In the first game with Paul back after his long absence, the Clippers were simply awesome in posting a franchise-record 45 point lead over the Sixers -- but then again, that was against the Sixers. The level of competition will be very different in this one, but if the Clippers have the same level of energy, it may not matter.</p>
<p><b>The Antagonist:</b></p>
<p>The Blazers are 5-7 in their last 12 games. They had the NBA's best record at 24-5 after winning that overtime thriller against the Clippers the day after Christmas -- they are 12-11 since. But guess what? They're more or less the same team. They were never as good as a 24-5 record would indicate -- an unsustainable record in close games and a cushy soft schedule to start the season skewed their record upward. And they're probably better than a 12-11 record would suggest since (though their net rating in this 23 games is indeed zero). At any rate, this remains a very dangerous team. Their starting lineup is terrific, and while their bench is a bit of a problem, they've been able to rely on their starters all season. (They are the only team in the NBA to have the same starting five in every game.) After a tough loss in Portland against the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> last night, and facing a Clippers team looking for a measure of revenge, the Blazers will definitely have their work cut out for them.</p>
<p><b>The Subplots</b></p>
<ul>
<li> <b>Comparison of key metrics.</b> The Clippers and Blazers play at a nearly identical pace and are within a tenth of a point of each other in offensive efficiency this season (only the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Heat</a> are better). Neither is as good defensively as they are offensively -- but the Clippers are still top 10 in the league in defense while the Blazers are bottom 10.</li>
<li> <b>Redick out.</b> We've suspected for a while that the Clippers would not be at full strength until after the All Star break. However, it was supposed to be Chris Paul missing time rehabbing his separated shoulder. Paul returned on Sunday against the Sixers, but J.J. Redick will miss his third straight game tonight with a balky hip. When Redick bruised his knee a few games back, he played through that -- but the tendency of the body to compensate threw him off, and now he's struggling with some nerve damage in his hip, causing him to have what he describes as a "noodle leg." He's considered day-to-day, and it'll be better when it's better -- everyone is hoping he'll practice next Monday and play against the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> on Tuesday. We've already witnessed Redick's impact on the Clippers offense -- it seems more than a little unfair that we have to wait still longer to see the starting backcourt together again.</li>
<li> <b>Paul and Lillard.</b> Chris Paul is ridiculously competitively, very bright and very aware. He knows that Damian Lillard is getting lots of buzz as the next great point guard in the NBA -- and he'll have something to say about it tonight. Paul outscored Lillard 34-14 the last time these teams played, and that's no accident. Whether Paul, in just his second game back from an extended absence and limited to 23 minutes on Sunday, is sharp enough to do that to Lillard again remains to be seen, but I'm pretty sure he's going to try.</li>
<li> <b>Crawford.</b> Redick's absence isn't felt so much in the first unit as in the second unit. The Willie Green experiment -- moving Green into the first five -- was a bust, and the Clippers have played very well with Jamal Crawford starting. But Crawford's scoring is sorely missed when the starters are out of the game. <span>Doc Rivers</span> will probably give Crawford a lot of minutes in this one in order to keep his scoring on the floor even when Paul and Griffin are out.</li>
<li> <b>Close games.</b> When the Blazers beat the Clippers in overtime the day after Christmas, it ran their record in games that were within one possession in the final minute of regulation to 11-1 on the season at the time. I made the point that those outcomes are more or less coin tosses -- an observation to which some Blazer fans objected, arguing that Portland was in fact somehow uniquely qualified to win the final minute of games that they hadn't secured over the course of 47 minutes. Since December 26th, the Blazers have lost six close ones -- which either indicates a regression towards the mean in thosee coin toss games, or that the Blazers have somehow lost their close game super-powers.</li>
<li> <b>LaMarcus Aldridge.</b> LaMarcus Aldridge will play in his third All Star Game on Sunday and makes regular appearances in list of MVP candidate. He's averaging career highs in rebounds and points per game, but while the rebounding is very real and very good, the scoring increase has come at a <a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/2/12/5404848/lamarcus-aldridges-paradoxical-season" target="_blank">significant cost to his scoring efficiency</a>.</li>
<li> <b>LaDamian.</b> Am I the only one who somehow gets Aldridge and Lillard's first names mixed up in my head and wants there to be a guy named LaDamian on the Blazers? Are we allowed to have couple names in the NBA? If Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are TomKat, can Aldrige and Lillard just be LaDamian for short? "LaDamian combined for 46 in the first meeting with the Clippers." Would that makes Chris Paul and Blake Griffin Chriffin? It would be easier to do a one-name for Blake and Cliff Paul -- Cliffin.</li>
<li> <b>Joel Freeland.</b> Freeland, the 27 year old Brit who is in just his second NBA season after playing professionally in Spain for many years, had settled into the backup center role for the Blazers. On a team with limited options off the bench, Freeland had become the first big. Last night against the Thunder he sprained his MCL and is out 4-8 weeks. In his absence, the Blazers will rely more heavily on <span>Thomas Robinson</span>, the 2013 lottery pick who is on his third team in just his second NBA season. Another second year pro, <span>Meyers Leonard</span>, will come into the rotation as the backup center.</li>
<li> <b>Mo Williams.</b> Mo Williams has been the Blazers leading scorer off the bench this season. He has missed the last games to be with his severely ill sister. It seems as if sis is doing better, and it is possible that Williams will be back in the fold tonight to face his former team.</li>
<li> <b><span>C.J. McCollum</span>.</b> Rookie C.J. McCollum broke his foot in training camp and missed the first 35 games of the season including the first meeting between the Clippers and Blazers. The LeHigh product (go Mountain <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Hawks</a>!) was arguably the best rookie at the Las Vegas summer league last July (it was an admittedly terrible year for rooks) and has slotted in very nicely since making his season debut, particularly in Williams' absence the last three games. He has scored 34 points in the last two games, but he's a combo guard like Williams, and his minutes will no doubt come down some if Mo is back in the lineup.</li>
<li> <b>Connections.</b> Former Clippers assistant and interim head coach <span>Kim Hughes</span>, is now an assistant in Portland. Jamal Crawford played in Portland two seasons ago. Mo Williams was a Clipper for a season and a half. Blazers general manager Neil Olshey left a similar post for the Clippers to take the job in Portland. New Clippers <span>Hedo Turkoglu</span> originally agreed to terms with the Blazers back in 2009 when he first left Orlando, but then changed his mind and left Toronto. You think they don't like him Toronto? They REALLY despise in in PDX.</li>
<li><b>Get the Portland perspective at <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/" target="_blank">Blazer's Edge</a>.</b></li>
<li> <b>Shakespearean reference:</b><br><b><a href="http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/playmenu.php?WorkID=romeojuliet" target="_blank">Romeo and Juliet</a> -- <a href="http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=romeojuliet&Act=3&Scene=3&Scope=scene" target="_blank">Act III, Scene 3</a> -- Friar Laurence</b><br><i>Go, get thee to thy love, as was decreed, <br>Ascend her chamber, hence and comfort her: <br>But look thou stay not till the watch be set, <br>For then thou canst not pass to Mantua; <br>Where thou shalt live, till we can find a time <br>To <b>blaze</b> your marriage, reconcile your friends, <br>Beg pardon of the prince, and call thee back <br>With twenty hundred thousand times more joy <br>Than thou went'st forth in lamentation. <br>Go before, nurse: commend me to thy lady; <br>And bid her hasten all the house to bed, <br>Which heavy sorrow makes them apt unto: <br>Romeo is coming.</i> </li>
</ul>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/2/12/5402710/clippers-blazers-preview-revenge-served-coldSteve Perrin