The Clippers will look to continue building on their blowout win over the Suns on Friday night against the scrappy Blazers.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 6:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Blazers: Jrue Holiday – Shaedon Sharpe – Toumani Camara – Deni Avdija – Donovan Clingan

Clippers: James Harden – Bradley Beal – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Blazers: Scoot Henderson Out (Hamstring), Robert Williams III Out (Knee), Damian Lillard Out (Achilles)

Clippers: Bradley Beal Questionable (Back), Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring)

Clippers vs Blazers Game Thread
Robert Flom

The Clippers are coming off against the largest win in franchise history against the woeful Nets – and can hopefully continue to expand upon their nascent winning streak against the lottery-dwelling Blazers.

Game Information

Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Blazers: Scoot Henderson – Anfernee Simons – Shaedon Sharpe – Toumani Camara – DeAndre Ayton

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Back to Back), Terance Mann Questionable (Calf), Kai Jones Out (G-League), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League), Cam Christie Out (G-League)

Blazers: Donovan Clingan Out (Ankle), Jerami Grant Out (Face), Matisse Thybulle Out (Ankle), Robert Williams III Doubtful (Illness), Deni Avdija Doubtful (Ankle)

Notes

Get the Win Part 2: Yes, the Clippers are on the second night of a back-to-back. Yes, they are on the road. And yes, Kawhi Leonard will be out for this game after by far his best performance of the season so far last night. Even taking all of those factors into consideration, this is a game the Clippers really have to win if they are serious about the postseason. The Blazers have talent, but are down several of their best players and are not very competent on either end of the court despite being scrappy. The Clippers did not have to play their best players a ton against the Nets, so fatigue is not as much of an excuse as normal on a back-to-back anyway. If the Clippers come out and execute on both ends, especially defense, they should be able to get the win and push their streak to three in a row.

Tinkering Ty: Ty Lue somewhat abruptly adjusted his rotation last night, announcing before the game that Kevin Porter Jr. would be out of the rotation to get a look at some other lineups. This came after Terance Mann did not get rotation minutes against the Heat. Mo Bamba also did not play last night until garbage time, meaning Ty played the 9-man rotation that I think he should play: Harden, Norm, DJJ, Kawhi, and Zu as the starters with Dunn, Amir, Mann, and Batum off the bench. That is a small grouping, but Bamba has just not been good enough this year to play regular minutes for a playoff team and Kevin Porter Jr.’s ability to sop usage is less valuable with Kawhi back and looking how he did last night. I thought the adjusted second unit with Kawhi staggered alongside looked fantastic on defense (albeit against a miserable Nets group) and with enough ballhandling and shooting to get by. Hopefully last night’s rotation experiment becomes a more permanent fixture.

Clippers vs Blazers Preview: Building a Win Streak
Robert Flom

The Clippers will look to maintain their eight-game winning streak at home in a contest against the young and frisky Portland Trailblazers.

Game Information

Where: Inuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe – Anfernee Simons – Toumani Camara – Jerami Grant – Deandre Ayton

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Norm Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Blazers: Donovan Clingan Out (Knee), Robert Williams III Out (Concussion), Matisse Thybulle Out (Ankle), Scoot Henderson Questionable (Quad)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Kevin Porter Jr. Out (Ankle) Kobe Brown Out (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League), Cam Christie Out (G-League)

The Antagonist

The Blazers are a somewhat surprising 8-13 and have been frisky to start the year. Projected by most pundits to be the worst or second-worst team in the Western Conference by a significant margin, the Blazers are currently 13^th in the conference but are only a few games back of the Spurs in 10^th. That being said, their Net Rating is 27^th, as they possess the 20^th ranked defense and 27^th ranked offense in the league. Therefore, the Blazers are outperforming their expected win totals by quite a bit, and it’s likely they fall back to earth sooner or later. Still, they probably aren’t quite as bad as most NBA fans would have thought coming into the season even if they are still a lottery team.

Notes

The Turnover Battle: As all Clippers fans know, the Clippers have struggled with turnovers this season, ranking 28^th in the NBA in turnover percentage. One of the only two teams worse than the Clips? The Portland Trailblazers, who rank 29^th. The Clippers have several perimeter defenders who excel at forcing turnovers, and the Clippers should be able to make the Blazers cough up the ball on a regular basis. The key for the Clips will be mitigating the reverse scenario through careful ball control. As mentioned in the Wizards’ preview, if the Clippers can just win the turnover battle, they should have a pretty good chance of winning the game.

Terance Heating Up: After a very slow start to the season, Terance Mann has finally started to catch a rhythm in recent games, including scoring 10+ points in three of the last five contests. Mann had probably his best game of the season against the Nuggets, scoring 15 on 6-7 shooting and chipping in 3 rebounds in 25 minutes. More importantly, he had some real confidence and energy about him that has been lacking this season (though his defense has remained solid throughout). If the Clippers can get the real Terance Mann back in the mix, their already good stable of depth on the wing will get that much better. I’d still love to see him shoot more and be more confident, and Sunday’s game was a good step forward in that regard.

Blazers Players to Watch: One of the odd things about the Blazers is that despite being 8-13, most of their key players are not having good seasons. Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons have all been fairly inefficient from the field this season, and Deandre Ayton has continued to slip on the defensive end. Instead, they have had excellent contributions from unexpected sources, including reserve guard Dalano Banton and backup center Robert Williams III. Williams is out for this one, but Banton is a player who can do damage on both sides of the ball, as are forwards Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara. The Blazers do have talent on their roster, even if it’s not well put together or smartly coached, and the Clippers should know that, having blown a game against the Blazers at the start of the season. Hopefully the Clips play better in this one.

Clippers vs Blazers Preview: Continuing Success at Home
Robert Flom

The Clippers will look to keep the good vibes rolling as they return home to play the youthful Blazers.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: KTLA, AM 1150

Projected Starting Lineups

Blazers: Anfernee Simons – Toumani Camara – Deni Avdija – Jerami Grant – DeAndre Ayton

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe Out (Shoulder), Robert Williams III Out (Hamstring), Matisse Thybulle Out (Knee)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team)

The Big Picture

The Clippers are coming off a fantastic weekend where they won back-to-back games on the road against two teams, the Nuggets and Warriors, who were projected to be ahead of them in the standings. Both games were own on the defensive end, with the pesky Clippers forcing turnovers, getting big rebounds, and generally making life difficult for the opposition. It is still very early in the season, but one has to be happy with how the Clippers have played so far, especially in terms of their energy and fight.

The Antagonist

The Blazers are 1-3, but have mostly played decently enough after an embarrassing first-game loss to the Warriors. Their veterans have performed well early, with the notable exception of Deni Avdija, with Grant, Ayton, and Simons all having one or two big outings. Donovan Clingan has also made his presence felt on the defensive end immediately; while the Blazers are bringing him along slowly, he can absolutely change the game in his second-unit shifts. The third overall pick in last years draft, Scoot Henderson, has still had rough turnovers and outside shooting, but is getting to the line more and shooting better from two-point range. In short, they are probably in for a classic “will be tanking hard by March, but are still trying to win games early” season, and as such should not be taken lightly.

Notes

Getting Easy Buckets: This Clippers team is not going to be good on offense when Kawhi Leonard doesn’t play, but this game against the Blazers is a chance for them to put together a good showing on that end. Camara, Avdija, and Grant are fine enough perimeter defenders, but Simons and Henderson are really bad at that end, and Ayton is nowhere near where he used to be. This will be a terrific opportunity for Harden in particular to really get going downhill and get some easier looks than he’s seen so far. Hopefully he can put together a more efficient showing than in his first three games.

Keeping Up Intensity: The Clippers are an underdog team of sorts, but they are still considered by most to be in a different tier than the Blazers. It’s in games like these, against non-marquee opponents, that Clippers’ teams of yore would slip up and play down to the level of the other team, especially on defense. This Clippers team does not have the talent margin those groups did, and they really need to maintain that “dog” on the defensive end. I’d love to see them come out, play fiery, and really put the clamps on a Blazers team that’s not offensively potent either. This will be a good test to see how the Clippers play against likely lottery teams and whether they can keep up the intense defense that has been such a treat so far.

Clippers vs Blazers Game Preview: Foot on the Gas
Robert Flom

The Clippers will hold their third preseason game of 2025 up in Seattle against the Portland Trailblazers.

Game Information

Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, KTLA

Projected Starting Lineups

Blazers: Scoot Henderson – Anfernee Simons – Deni Avdija – Jerami Grant – De’Andre Ayton

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Terance Mann – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe Out (Shoulder), Robert Williams III Out (Hamstring), Matisse Thybulle Questionable (Knee)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Out (Knee), Trentyn Flowers Out (Wrist), Bones Hyland Hip (Ankle), Derrick Jones Jr. Questionable (Head)

Notes

Injuries Piling Up: Its preseason and somehow the Clippers’ injury list is already pretty extensive. Trentyn Flowers was never going to play minutes for the Clippers this season, but Bamba being out has led to extensive Kai Jones minutes, Derrick Jones being injured could push other guys up in the rotation, and we all know what Kawhi’s absence means. It is better to be injured in preseason than the regular season, and its not the worst thing for guys lower down in the rotation to get more minutes – but having reps with the actual rotation players would be nice too. Hopefully the injuries to Bones, Jones, and Bamba are not serious, and those guys get back in the action sometime in preseason.

Staggering the Starters: Ty Lue apologized after the Nets game on Tuesday for the second unit (Kris Dunn-Kevin Porter Jr.-Amir Coffey-Nic Batum-Kai Jones) and said he would try to avoid that lineup going forward. That’s interesting, because with Bamba and Leonard out, there aren’t a ton of other options there. The solution is probably staggering James Harden with Norm Powell to always have one of them out there. I’d probably take out Norm early for Batum, Coffey, or Dunn, then have him replace Harden at some point. Whether that means one of the guards (Porter Jr or Coffey) would be out of the rotation or Ty would just squeeze the minutes in is unclear. He also mentioned getting Jones playing more with Harden and Zu with the second unit, so maybe Zu is the one who staggers. We will just have to see.

Looking at the Blazers: This is the Blazers’ first preseason game this year, somehow, and they’re a team that will be intriguing to watch this season. Projected as one of the worst teams in the West, the Blazers still have talent, with the 2023 3^rd pick in Scoot Henderson and this year’s 7^th pick Donovan Clingan as highlights. Scoot had a very disappointing rookie season, but if he can get back on track the Blazers could be a fun watch and a tougher team night-to-night. Another thing to monitor: how long do the Blazers hold onto veterans such as De’Andre Ayton, Robert Williams, Jerami Grant, and Matisse Thybulle. They could presumably get assets for some of those players, so moves might well be made to further strip the team down at the deadline.

Clippers vs Blazers 2025 Preseason Game 3 Preview
Robert Flom

Coming off yet another embarrassing loss, the Clippers have a must-win game on the road against the Blazers, one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Game Information

Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Blazers: Scoot Henderson – Anfernee Simons – Toumani Camara – Kris Murray – DeAndre Ayton

Injuries

Clippers: Russell Westbrook Out (Hand), Norm Powell Questionable (Ankle)

Blazers: Robert Williams Out (Knee), Shaedon Sharpe Out (Abdomen), Malcolm Brogdon Out (Elbow), Jerami Grant Doubtful (Hamstring), Matisse Thybulle Questionable (Ankle)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have continued to fade over the second half of the season, with injuries, tired legs on an old roster, roster issues, and sheer lack of effort combining for a brutal brew that has slowed the Clipperson offense and made them one of the worst defenses in the NBA. They are now just a single loss ahead of the Pelicans for 4^th, and well out of the top three seeds, a precipitous slide in just a few weeks. The injuries are not controllable, nor is the age of the roster, but the Clippers simply need to have more urgency and energy in these games. Losses to good teams when fighting hard (like that Pelicans game) are excusable, if worrying. Blowouts at the hands of the Hawks with zero resistance on defense are not. The Clippers need to shape up, and do it quickly.

The Antagonist

The Blazers are in their first year of their rebuild post Damian Lillard and it has been a slog, with their 19-49 record placing 5^th worst in the NBA. Prized rookie Scoot Henderson has missed some games with injury, and when he’s played he’s mostly been very bad – though somewhat better in the past few months. Second-year guard Shaedon Sharpe has missed half the season and is probably going to finish with just 32 games played. Robert Williams, one of the prizes of the Dame/Jrue Holiday trades, played in just six games before going out to injury. The bright spots have been few, with Toumani Camara flashing some real defensive chops as a rookie, Jabari Walker taking a step forward in his second season, and DeAndre Ayton playing well the past few weeks. The Blazers are young and athletic, but very, very bad, especially when their vets such as Grant and Brogdon are out.

Notes

Just Win: While I’d love to see the Clippers actually play well, at this point they just need to get some wins to stay afloat in the standings. It doesn’t need to be pretty, but this game against the Blazers and the follow-up on Friday are two of the easiest games left on their schedule, and are therefore must-wins. Stringing together two wins, even against such a poor quality opponent, could go a bit of a ways towards getting the Clippers back into a groove.

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Clippers vs. Blazers Preview: Must Win Against Bottom Feeder
Robert Flom

The Clippers have won eight out of their last 11 games, and now have another game they should win at home against the 6-15 Blazers.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Blazers: Skylar Mays – Anfernee Simons – Shaedon Sharpe – Jabari Walker – Duop Reath

Injury Report

Clippers: Moussa Diabate out (hip), Mason Plumlee out (MCL)

Blazers: Jerami Grant out (concussion protocol), Malcolm Brogdon day to day, Deandre Ayton day to day.

The Big Picture

The LA Clippers return home against the Blazers after a brief, one game road trip, and the proud owners of a three-game win streak. Sure, there are still some things to iron out, but the fact of the matter is the Clippers have been playing some of their best basketball of the season of late, and definitely since the James Harden trade.

Kawhi Leonard is coming off arguably his best game of the season with 41 points, five rebounds, and five assists as the Clippers broke their losing streak in Utah. Harden has been fitting in better and playing a little more aggressive. Russell Westbrook is bringing the the spark and boost of energy off the bench.

The blueprint is there for how the Clippers need to continue to play. After their big comeback win against the Golden State Warriors last weekend followed by beating a healthy Denver Nuggets team, the Clippers were adamant they could not have a let-down against the short-handed Jazz.

Overall, the Clippers are 8-3 in their last 11 games and have finally climbed back over .500. They’ve got a nice little home stretch coming up as well. This is the time for them to really make up ground in the Western Conference standings.

The Antagonist

The Portland Trail Blazers come to town reeling. They’ve lost three in a row and are 3-7 in their last ten games. They’re near the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference, ahead of only the San Antonio Spurs who have lost 16 straight.

They’re also going to be short-handed. Jerami Grant is currently in concussion protocol and did not make the trip. Malcolm Brogdon and Deandre Ayton are considered day to day.

This is a game the Clippers need to have. It’s also a game that wouldn’t be surprising if the Clippers allowed to be competitive. The Jazz game was the first major test to see if they’ve truly turned the corner. This one can further enhance that notion.

Clippers vs. Blazers Preview: LA Looks to Keep Momentum Rolling
David Yapkowitz

Well, it finally happened. Damian Lillard has asked for a trade, and Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the Clippers are interested.

Of course the Clippers are interested. Damian Lillard is an All-NBA level guard, who, despite his age, just put forth the best season of his career last year. His combination of shooting, playmaking, scoring, and leadership would make him a perfect fit next to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

The real questions are twofold. First, is Damian Lillard interested in the Clippers? Second, would the Clippers be able to put together a competitive package for Lillard that would get the front office onboard even if Lillard doesn’t want to go there.

By all accounts, the answer to the first question is no. Shams Charania, David Aldridge, and Marc Spears have all said that Lillard’s only real interest is the Heat. Chris Haynes has said that the Heat and Nets are preferred destinations, with the Spurs also mentioned as a wildcard. Now, they could be getting that information from the Heat, or for someone in Dame’s camp who wants those teams, but still. Nobody has mentioned the Clippers.

The second question is a bit more complicated, since it depends on what the Blazers’ office wants. Early, it seems to be prospects and picks. The Clippers do not have much there. In terms of true prospects, the only guy even remotely close to a blue-chip is Bones Hyland – and the Blazers’ best young players are guards. Brandon Boston, Jason Preston, Moussa Diabate, Kobe Brown, and Jordan Miller all probably have some level of value. But all of them together aren’t nearly as valuable as say, Nic Claxton from the Nets, Devin Vassell from the Spurs, or Scottie Barnes from the Raptors. The picks are even worse, as the Clippers can trade just the 2028 and 2030 1sts and swaps in 2027 and 2029. That’s about the same as Miami, and way less than Brooklyn or the Spurs.

All in all, a Clippers deal for Damian Lillard seems unlikely. What is more likely is that they get in on a three-team deal, whether its the Sixers involved (for Harden), Bulls (LaVine), or even other guys on the Blazers (Simons).

Can the Clippers Trade for Damian Lillard?
Robert Flom

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.”

Clippers Overcome Slow Start to Beat Blazers in Another Must-Win Game.
David Yapkowitz

The LA Clippers gear up for their final home game of the regular season against the skeleton crew Portland Trail Blazers.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 1 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Russell Westbrook – Eric Gordon – Kawhi Leonard – Nicolas Batum – Ivica Zubac

Blazers: Skylar Mays – Jeenathan Williams – Trendon Watford – John Butler Jr. – Drew Eubanks

Injury Report

Clippers: Paul George out (right knee), Marcus Morris Sr. out (back).

Blazers: Damian Lillard out (right calf), Ibo Badji out (left knee), Jerami Grant out (left quad), Keon Johnson out (right finger), Nassir Little out (left ankle), Jusuf Nurkic out (right knee), Justice Winslow out (left ankle), Cam Reddish questionable (lumbar), Shaedon Sharpe probable (left knee), Matisse Thybulle out (right knee), Drew Eubanks questionable (right ankle), Trendon Watford probable (right ankle), Kevin Knox probable (right quad).

The Big Picture

The Clippers are coming off their biggest game of the season, a win against the Lakers that essentially allowed them to avoid the play-in tournament. They control their destiny when it comes to where they will finish in the Western Conference standings.

They most likely will have the same available players against the Blazers as they did against the Lakers. That means everyone should be available with the exception of Paul George and Marcus Morris.

The Clippers still have something to play for, as they are nowhere near out of the woods yet. The play-in is still very much in play. The New Orleans Pelicans are just one loss back of the Clippers after their win against the Knicks tonight and they hold the tie-breaker.

There’s also the question of the Golden State Warriors, who could also surpass the Clippers in the standings. The Clippers hold the tie-breaker over the Warriors though, so they would only need to finish with an identical record, something they cannot afford to do against the Pelicans.

Saturday’s game is still a must-win. And it has the makings of the ultimate trap game of all trap games. The Portland Trail Blazers have been running a skeleton crew the last few games and that is sure to continue. It’s an early game as well, something that hasn’t been so kind to the Clippers in recent seasons.

There’s been chatter of teams potentially trying to ‘tank’ their playoff standings to end up sixth and therefore draw the Sacramento Kings in the first round. The Clippers should not fall into that trap. Too many things can go wrong. Simply win out and let the chips fall where they may.

The Antagonist

The Portland Trail Blazers were once battling for playoff positioning this season, but the train has come off the rails. Damian Lillard was shut down for the season along with pretty much every serviceable player the Blazers have.

They’re out there running the ultimate skeleton crew. They have a couple of G League guys in the starting lineup and coming off the bench. They’re barely even trying to play spoiler. They’ve lost seven of their last eight games.

It’s officially that time of the season when NBA teams trot out lineups that will have you typing names into Google to figure out who they are. There really isn’t much to say about this current Blazers group except that the Clippers need to take care of business, put the game away early, and therefore allow everyone to get some extra bit of rest.

Clippers vs. Blazers Game Preview
David Yapkowitz