LDN - Sports

Griffin, Paul carry Clippers to victory over Trail Blazers

[October 28, 2016] PORTLAND, Ore -- If the Los Angeles Clippers are going to advance far in the NBA playoffs this season, they're going to have to win on nights when not everything is clicking.

That's what they did Thursday night at the Moda Center, overcoming poor shooting to pull out a 114-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

"I'm really happy with the win, but we're going to get a lot better," coach Doc Rivers said. "You can see that. We made a season's worth of mistakes at times, yet we still won the game. The grit is what I liked. Now the execution has to follow."

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul each scored 27 points as the Clippers won their season opener. Griffin grabbed 13 rebounds and Paul had five rebounds and five assists on a night in which the Clippers shot .407 from the field, .276 from 3-point range and .696 from the free-throw line.

Damian Lillard led Portland with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Moe Harkless scored 23 points to go with eight rebounds and Mason Plumlee contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Blazers (1-1).

The game had a playoff-like intensity, at least partially because the teams met in the first round of the postseason a year ago. Portland was whistled for 34 fouls and the Clippers attempted 46 free throws, making 32.

"The Clippers are a good team," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "They're physical. They're veterans. They know how to kind of get away with some things, and they took advantage of that. Some things didn't go our way late in the game."

Plumlee was involved in a pair of skirmishes, drawing matching technicals with DeAndre Jordan in the third quarter and picking up a flagrant foul after shoving Griffin in the final period. The Blazers felt the Clippers provoked most of the game's chippiness.

"In that situation, you can let somebody come in and punk you or you can do something about it," Lillard said. "In every situation where there was a little physical activity, we stood up to it. That's what you're supposed to do."

Rivers didn't think things got out of hand.

"When teams play in the playoffs and they play that first game (the next season), it's usually not a pleasant sight," he said. "Tonight wasn't. You know it's going to get a little scrummy, but overall, it was pretty clean."

Griffin collected 16 points and six rebounds as the Clippers took a 58-49 lead into intermission. Paul had 12 points and Marreese Speights 11 while Portland got 12 apiece from Lillard and Harkless in the first half.

The Blazers opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run to seize a 59-58 advantage, benefitting from the Clippers' 0-for-7 shooting start. Portland sank 14 of 21 shots in the quarter, but the score was tied 82-82 heading into the final period.

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Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) brings the ball up-court against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Griffin's three-point play gave the Clippers a 95-89 lead with 6:05 remaining, and moments later the margin was 99-89. Paul then buried a 3 and Jamal Crawford followed with a fast-break layup to make it 104-89 with 3:20 to play. The Blazers went on a 13-3 run to get to within 107-102 with 34.4 seconds to go.

Paul sank two free throws to make it 109-102 with 31.4 seconds left. Lillard followed with a basket, but Crawford converted a pair at the line for a 111-104 lead with 21 seconds remaining to put the game on ice.

NOTES: Portland was only 4-for-18 from 3-point range after hitting 13 of 19 from beyond the arc in a 113-104 win over Utah on Tuesday. ... Clippers C DeAndre Jordan, who shot .430 from the free-throw line last season, was 2-for-10 from the charity stripe Thursday night. ... Clippers F Alan Anderson is dealing with a sore foot and did not play, though coach Doc Rivers, though he was available for duty Thursday night. "He misses practice sometimes, and that will be for a while," Rivers said. "We're going to have to be patient with that. We'll protect him. There will be nights early in the season where if I don't have to play him, I won't." ... The Blazers and Clippers played 11 times last season including the preseason. Portland eliminated L.A. in six games in the first round of the playoffs. "That type of familiarity brings out a rivalry," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. ... The coaches disagree on whether it's advantage or disadvantage that the Blazers opened the season Tuesday night, the Clippers two days later. "It's an advantage for them," Stotts said. "They had the opportunity to scout us against Utah." Countered Rivers: "I'd prefer to have played. It's always nice to play first and then play a team that is having opening night. (The Blazers) worked them all out. We'll have to do that on the fly."

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