Paul leads Clippers to easy win over Portland

[April 21, 2016]  (The Sports Xchange) - Chris Paul scored 25 points and the Los Angeles Clippers rolled to a 102-81 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers to take a 2-0 edge in their Western Conference quarter-final series on Wednesday.

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.

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

Game 3 is on Saturday in Portland.

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 for a 78-63 edge with 8:03 left in the contest. The Clippers never allowed the lead to reach single digits again.

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.

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.

For the game, the Clippers hit 46 percent of their shots to 34.1 percent for the Blazers.

The Clippers' bench also outscored the Blazers' reserves 43-10.

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