The LA Clippers grabbed a 135-126 win over the skeleton crew Portland Trail Blazers to keep their hopes alive of not slipping to the play-in tournament.

Summary

The Clippers came into Sunday’s game in sixth place in the Western Conference playoff picture. They ended the game back in fifth and ahead of the Golden State Warriors and in control of their own destiny.

It didn’t always look like that was going to be case though. Predictably, the Clippers came out slow in a matinee game. The skeleton crew that the Blazers were running took advantage of the Clippers poor transition defense, and just poor defense in general. At one point, the Blazers held a double-digit lead.

While the Clippers were able to slice into the deficit by the half, Clipper Nation had every reason to believe this game might end in disappointment as it has so many times before.

Something changed at halftime though, something that, according to Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, involved some NSFW language.

“A lot of cussing,” Lue said.

Whatever that entailed, it worked. The Clippers starters began the second half on a 7-0 run, and 13-2 overall, to take control of the game. The defense tightened up, the shots started dropping, and the Clippers finally looked like they knew what was at stake with a loss.

It was the defensive intensity that Lue believed led to the 71 point explosion the Clippers dropped in the second half.

“To be able to get stops, be able to get deflections, Russ out in the open court and getting in the paint and making the right play, Niko got a few threes because of that,” Lue said. “Just our mindset and the defensive presence in the third quarter was really good.”

For the second straight game, the Clippers bench was a catalyst in getting a win. The three-guard lineup of Bones Hyland, Norman Powell and Terance Mann, along with Mason Plumlee, provided energy on both ends of the floor.

Against the Blazers, the bench was able to hold onto and extend the lead in the fourth quarter and allow the starters, especially Kawhi Leonard, some additional rest. With Powell making his return recently after being sidelined with a shoulder injury, he’s been able to build up strong chemistry with the rest of the bench unit in a quick amount of time.

“When I was out, I’m studying the game, I’m watching how we’re playing, how the games are being played, the flow and everything. I think we’re finding the rhythm playing off that three guard lineup,” Powell said. “Putting pace and energy into the game, using our energy to affect the game, I think we’ve been able to do that. . .coming out with that mindset of being physical and getting out, pressure and making easy plays for one another.”



David Yapkowitz

David Yapkowitz

David is in his sixth season as credentialed media at Los Angeles Clippers games and second season covering the team for 213 Hoops. He also covers the game at the college and high school levels. When his professional basketball dreams did not materialize, he turned to the next best thing, writing about it.

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