After a bounce-back win against the Minnesota Timberwolves last night, the Clippers finish their first back-to-back of the season tonight against Portland. Read on for a full Clippers vs Trail Blazers game preview.
Game Information
Where: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA
When: 7:00 PM PT
How to Watch: NBA TV, Fox Sports Prime Ticket, AM 570 LA Sports
Projected Starting Lineups
Blazers: Damian Lillard — CJ McCollum — Derrick Jones Jr. — Robert Covington — Jusuf Nurkić
Clippers: Patrick Beverley — Paul George — Kawhi Leonard — Nicolas Batum — Serge Ibaka
Injuries
Blazers: OUT — Zach Collins (ankle); OUT — Nassir Little (health and safety protocols); QUESTIONABLE – Gary Trent Jr. (calf); PROBABLE — Carmelo Anthony (health and safety protocols)
Clippers: OUT — Jay Scrubb (foot); UNKNOWN – Marcus Morris (knee)
The Big Picture
Order is restored. Questions abounded after the 51-point drubbing by the Mavericks, but after the Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers handled their business against an outgunned and similarly shorthanded Minnesota team last night, let’s agree to sweep Sunday’s ashes under the rug. (Um, after this post, that is.)
As of this writing, Kawhi Leonard’s status for tonight’s game was still unknown, with Tyronn Lue telling reporters that the sliced-up star has yet to have his stitches out. Marcus Morris’s status is also unknown — he missed last night as well — but practiced Monday, hopefully signaling his imminent return.
As for the actual basketball, last night was a welcome but brief respite from the gauntlet that is the Western Conference schedule. The ordeal resumes tonight and offers the Clippers the opportunity to answer another night’s question while serving as a yardstick for a contender with eyes on the top.
The Antagonist
The Blazers have a new look to them. They also restore an old look. They’re like a reissued album with a few new tracks thrown in. Jusuf Nurkić returns from a broken leg that caused him to miss the entire non-bubble portion of last season. Rodney Hood returns from a torn achilles that caused him to miss it all. Enes Kanter returns via trade to get under people’s skin.
Neil Olshey also went shopping for answers at the forward spots that have bedeviled this franchise for so much of its current run. He returned from his offseason spree with Robert Covington, Derrick Jones Jr., Harry Giles III, and another year of Carmelo Anthony.
Add it all together and Portland may find they’ve built the most successful product of their current era. Charles Barkley has bought in. Lillard and old/new company showed Sunday night against the Lakers that they’ve added size, grit, and sound defense to their explosiveness. Western Conference beware.
Notes
- How the Clippers Could Lose by 50: Yahoo Sports asked Damian Lillard why this nascent season has seen so many blowouts, and Portland’s star cited, in part, a lack of crowds, saying, “Some people are looking around like, man, we gotta create our own energy.” The Clippers’ loss wasn’t the only weird result of the weekend, even if it was the worst. In a season where so much is unusual, these aberrant scores should serve as another reminder that we still have a long journey back to normal.
- More Than a Bench Spark: Apparently, empty basketball arenas aren’t the only thing this season has in common with the postseason bubble. It also has Gary Trent Jr. playing rainmaker off the bench. Portland’s third-year wing has made 10 (58.8%) of his first 17 three-point tries, buttressed by a 7-for-11 performance against the Lakers. Trent has only nine career starts, plus one in the playoffs, but it’s tough to keep this kind of flamethrower on the bench. Perhaps CJ McCollum’s backside is getting warm.
- Game Thread: Comment below and join the conversation!
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