Post by DiamondThief on Mar 31, 2015 21:03:38 GMT -8
Los Angeles Clippers at Portland Trail Blazers
What: The Clippers are in Portland to face the Blazers.
When: Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. (PT).
Clippers Media: TV - Prime Ticket. Radio - The Beast 980/KWKW 1.
Blazers Media: TV - CSNNW. Radio - Rip City Radio 620 AM.
National Media: NBATV.
Previous: Nov. 8 - Clippers 106, Blazers 102. Jan. 14 - Clippers 100, Blazers 94. March 4 - Blazers 98, Clippers 93 (OT).
Schedule: N/A.
Note: If the playoffs began today, these teams would meet in the first round.
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The Clippers are 49-26, 22-15 on the road and 30-15 in conference games. They are coming off a 110-106 loss to the Warriors on March 31. Thunder on March 29. They are averaging 106.6 points (2nd in the NBA) and allowing 100.3 points (16th). The Suns, who have won seven of their last eight, are second in the Pacific Division and fifth in the Western Conference.
The Blazers are 48-25, 30-7 at home and 28-16 in conference games. They are coming off a 109-86 home win over the Suns on March 30. They are averaging 102.6 points (7th in the NBA) and allowing 97.9 (9th). The Blazers, who have won their last four, are first in the Northwest Division and fourth in the Western Conference.
Clippers' DeAndre Jordan; Blazers' Chris Kaman
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
PROJECTED STARTERS
SF - 22 Matt Barnes (10.3 pts, 3.9 reb, 1.5 ast)
PF - 32 Blake Griffin (21.8 pts, 7.6 reb, 5.1)
C - 6 DeAndre Jordan (11.4 pts, 14.8 reb, 0.7)
SG - 4 J.J. Redick (16.1 pts, 2.2 reb, 1.8 ast)
PG - 3 Chris Paul (18.8 pts, 4.6 reb, 10.1 ast)
RESERVES
G - 14 Lester Hudson; 31 Dahntay Jones; 25 Austin Rivers; 30 CJ Wilcox
F - 1 Jordan Hamilton; 0 Glen Davis; 10 Spencer Hawes; 15 Hedo Turkoglu; 13 Ekpe Udoh
INJURIES
G - 11 Jamal Crawford (calf) - out
HEAD COACH
Doc Rivers
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Points - Blake Griffin 21.8
Rebounds - DeAndre Jordan 14.8
Assists - Chris Paul 10.1
Blocks - DeAndre Jordan 2.2
Steals - Chris Paul 1.9
FG - DeAndre Jordan 71.1%
FT - Jamal Crawford 90.3%
3pt - J.J. Redick 43.5%
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
PROJECTED STARTERS
SF - 88 Nicolas Batum (9.5 pts, 5.8 reb, 4.8 ast)
PF - 12 LaMarcus Aldridge (23.5, pts, 10.4 reb, 1.8 ast)
C - 42 Robin Lopez (9.6 pts, 6.9 reb, 1.0 ast)
SG - 4 Arron Afflalo (13.6 pts, 3.2 reb, 1.7 ast)
PG - 0 Damian Lillard (21.0 pts, 4.8 reb, 6.3 ast)
RESERVES
G - 5 Steve Blake; 23 Allen Crabbe; 10 Tim Frazier; 3 CJ McCollum
F - 33 Alonzo Gee; 1 Dorell Wright
C - 19 Joel Freeland; 35 Chris Kaman; 11 Meyers Leonard
INJURY REPORT
G - 2 Wesley Matthews (achilles) - out
HEAD COACH
Terry Stotts
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Points - LaMarcus Aldridge 23.5
Rebounds - LaMarcus Aldridge 10.4
Assists - Damian Lillard 6.3
Blocks - Robin Lopez 1.5
Steals - Damian Lillard 1.3
FG - Robin Lopez 53.1%
FT - Damian Lillard 86.4%
3pt - Meyers Leonard 43.3%
NOTE: We use a different standard than the NBA for the individual statistical leaders. Our leaders apply to players who have played at least half their teams' games this season; in this case, roughly 36 games, as well as other basic statistical minimums.
ANGI'S TAKES
CLIPPERS: Los Angeles is battling for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and a win over the Blazers would be a step in that direction. They have major NBA category leaders in Jordan (rebounds) and Paul (assists). Jordan is a defender, shot blocker and a solid scorer at the rim. Paul tallied 36 points and 12 assists in the March 4 meeting. Griffin, who missed the last game against the Blazers with a staph infection in his elbow, is back. He is a good scorer and decent rebounder, but not much of a defensive threat. Redick, who scored 26 points in the last meeting. can burn teams with his shooting. "Big Baby" Davis is a solid backup, but lacks size to fill in at center. Hawes is a stretch four, similar to the Blazers' Leonard. Former Blazer Crawford is out for the rest of the season with a calf injury.
BLAZERS: Portland is surging after having lost five in a row. A win in this game would put them solidly in fourth place for the moment. They had a relatively easy time with the Suns on March 30. Aldridge has been a rock for the team all season long. Lillard had a career-high 18 rebounds in the last meeting against the Clippers. Batum filled the stat sheet in that meeting with 20 pooints, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks. Lopez will have his hands full with Jordan. Afflalo is finding his niche in the offense and that should only improve. Kaman is playing his best basketball of the season and Blake is always solid. Wright has been showing his defensive and rebounding skills the past two weeks. McCollum could have a solid night against the Clippers.
THE CLIPPERS WIN IF: They get to the rim, win the rebounding battle and Paul has 10 or more assists.
THE BLAZERS WIN IF: They keep Jordan off the boards, Aldridge scores 28 points and they make 12 or more threes.
MATCH UP TO WATCH: Blake Griffin vs. LaMarcus Aldridge.
OFFICIALS
TBA.
QUOTEABLE
Clippers' Austin Rivers after the March 4 loss to the Blazers: "We made a lot of mistakes down the stretch. We gave up a couple of bad 3-pointers. That can never happen. In the last few possessions of the game, we stopped defending."
Blazers' coach Stotts on Batum after the March 4 win over the Clippers: "We made a lot of mistakes down the stretch," Rivers said. "We gave up a couple of bad 3-pointers. That can never happen. In the last few possessions of the game, we stopped defending."
FEATURED TWEETS
EXTRA
This fan was the talk of Moda Center at the Rose Quarter during the Blazers' 109-86 win over the Suns on March 30. Her Chris Kaman shirt, complete with ears on the sleeves, must have done some good. Kaman had 12 points and 7 rebounds in 14 minutes in the win.
MATCH UP MEME
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