{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
L.A. Clippers 102, Portland 81
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #20 Leroy Richardson, #9 Derrick Stafford
Attendance: 19127

LOS ANGELES -- Missed shots, an ineffective offense and the solid play of the Los Angeles Clippers' bench resulted in the demise of the Portland Trail Blazers in a Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

Chris Paul scored 25 points, and the Clippers rolled to a 102-81 victory to take a 2-0 edge in the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

"We're not the first team to lose the first two in a row," Portland guard Damian Lillard said. "They took care of their home court, and we're going to have the same opportunity. So, we've got to put together four quarters for these next couple of games."

J.J. Redick scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half for Los Angeles, while Blake Griffin added 12 points and nine rebounds. DeAndre Jordan collected 18 rebounds but scored only three points.

Lillard and Mason Plumlee had 17 points apiece, and CJ McCollum chipped in 16 points for the Trail Blazers. Plumlee also had 10 rebounds and seven assists. Maurice Harkless contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.

Game 3 is Saturday at Portland's Moda Center.

Los Angeles posted double-digit leads throughout the contest, but each time Portland wiped them out until the final quarter, when the Clippers pulled away for their fifth consecutive decision over the Blazers.

A finger roll by Jamal Crawford, who finished with 11 points, capped an 11-2 run by the Clippers' reserves for a 78-63 edge with 8:03 left in the contest. Los Angeles never allowed the lead to reach single digits again.

"I would say that the bench won us this game," Redick said. "They were fantastic. Defensively, they were great all the way down the line, and they each had an impact on the game."

Crawford's output and 10 points from Jeff Green sparked the Clippers' reserves, who outscored the Blazers' bench 43-10.

Shooting also had an impact on the outcome. For the game, the Clippers hit 46 percent of their shots to 34.1 percent for the Blazers.

"Yeah, especially at the start of the game, I got a lot of clean looks," said Lillard, who made just six of 22 from the floor and missed all six of his 3-point attempts. "I missed a wide-open, point-blank layup. When you get those looks early in a game, you've got to knock them down, especially when you know the type of attention you're going to get in a playoff series like this with the trapping, and sending two guys and loading up on myself and CJ."

Said McCollum, "Teams usually shoot better at home. I think the Clippers and (Redick have) been shooting pretty well especially in those first quarters. ... I think our guys will be more comfortable at home."

In the third quarter, the Blazers got down by as much as 12 after a basket by Paul less than three minutes into the period. However, an 11-2 surge pulled the Trail Blazers within 59-56 after a McCollum jumper with 4:58 left in the third. The teams played pretty much even the rest of the quarter, with the Clippers taking a 67-61 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

However, the Blazers fell apart in the fourth.

"Defense is always the key in the playoffs," Crawford said. "It is such a grind and the game slows down so much. If you can defend and rebound, though, you can win."

The Clippers led by as much as 15 in the second quarter before the Trail Blazers rallied and closed the gap to 47-43 at the break. Portland was able to wipe out the deficit despite shooting only 34 percent in the first half, including 38.1 percent in the second quarter. Los Angeles shot 42.2 percent in the first half and 47.8 percent in the second quarter.

Both clubs struggled in the third quarter, with the Blazers making only 25 percent of their shots to 37.5 percent for the Clippers.

NOTES: The Clippers formally presented G Jamal Crawford with his Sixth Man of the Year Award before the game. Crawford, the oldest player to receive the honor at 36 years old, captured the award for the third time in his career Tuesday. ... Clippers F Blake Griffin is averaging 4.1 assists per game in the postseason, third most by any player 6-foot-10 or taller (minimum of 30 games). Bill Russell (4.7 per game) and Wilt Chamberlain (4.2) averaged more. ... With an average age of 24.89 years, the Trail Blazers are the youngest club in the playoffs. ... Fifth-seeded teams have compiled a 35-29 series record over fourth seeds since the postseason was expanded to a 16-team format during 1983-84 campaign. ... Game 4 is scheduled for Monday at Portland.
Top Game Performances
 
Portland   L.A. Clippers
Damian Lillard 17 Scoring Chris Paul 25
Mason Plumlee 7 Assists DeAndre Jordan 5
Al-Farouq Aminu 10 Rebounds DeAndre Jordan 18
Mason Plumlee 7 Free Throws Made Jeff Green 4
Al-Farouq Aminu 2 Steals Luc Mbah a Moute 3
Allen Crabbe 1 Blocks DeAndre Jordan 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Portland 81 34.1 5-26 14-16 20 52 3 6 11
L.A. Clippers 102 46.0 8-21 14-25 20 52 9 7 10
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game on the road against Portland. The Clippers have a W/L % of .630 after a win and .679 after a loss.
  • Portland will play their next game at home against L.A. Clippers. The Trail Blazers have a W/L % of .535 after a win and .538 after a loss.