The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Portland Trail Blazers for the second time this season on Tuesday night in game No. 2 of a six-game homestand. Continue reading for our Clippers vs. Trail Blazers preview.
Game Information
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
When: 7:00 p.m. PT
How to Tune in: TNT, Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
L.A. Clippers: Eric Bledsoe – Reggie Jackson – Paul George – Nicolas Batum – Ivica Zubac
Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard – CJ McCollum – Norman Powell – Robert Covington – Jusuf Nurkic
Injury Report
Clippers: Marcus Morris Sr., Jason Preston, and Kawhi Leonard are OUT.
Blazers: None
The Big Picture
The Clippers enter Tuesday night on a four-game win streak after losing four of their first five games, including a 19-point loss to the Trail Blazers a little over a week ago. A lot has changed since then, however. Ivica Zubac and Reggie Jackson have more closely resembled the players they were a season ago, while Serge Ibaka has returned to the lineup. Yet, one thing that has remained the same is the slow starts that the Clippers have gotten off to, which has led to a few large deficits. Fortunately, the guys have mounted comebacks all season long, but it’s a habit they’ll likely want to break considering how undermanned they currently are. All things considered, the Clips are playing well and have a realistic chance of moving two games above .500 with a win on Tuesday.
The Antagonist
The Blazers will roll into Staples Center with a bit of momentum of their own, having won two in a row, including a beatdown of the LA Lakers. Despite Damian Lillard’s shooting struggles, he’s been one of the three usual catalysts for the Portland offense that have been getting the job done recently. CJ McCollum has been his usual self as an off-the-bounce scorer, and Jusuf Nurkic has put together some good games. The surprise production has come from Anfernee Simons and his newfound confidence with Chauncey Billups at the helm. The Clippers will need to limit Simons, or any other role player, if they want to avoid another lopsided result.
Clippers vs. Trail Blazers Game Notes
- Containing Dame: We all know by now how much Dame has struggled with the Clippers over the years, and that’s a trend that needs to continue on Tuesday night. The Clips have done a solid job over the first two matches with Lillard, but he did shake loose for some timely baskets in the second half of the Clippers’ loss. We’ll see what kind of defense Ty Lue decides to utilize in defending Dame’s pick-and-rolls, and hopefully, the Clips don’t get hit with a Dame flurry after getting off to a poor shooting start.
- Protecting the Ball: There’s no telling which version of the Clippers we’ll see on Tuesday when it comes to their outside shooting, as they’ve run hot and cold (mostly cold) to begin the year. Regardless, they’ll need to allow themselves to see some go in. They do such simply by getting shots up and not turning the ball over. LA has committed at least 20 turnovers in two of the last three games, highlighted by Paul George’s eight in their win against Charlotte on Sunday.