The Los Angeles Clippers stretched their unbeaten run to four games with an emphatic 111-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Five players scored in double-figures for the Clips who improved their record to an NBA best 7-1. It was a dominant performance by Doc Rivers’ men who led by as many as 48 points in the third quarter.
Starring for the Clippers in this rout was Blake Griffin. He scored 22 points and grabbed 13 boards to record his sixthdouble-double of the season. He has been incredible for the Clips this campaign, averaging 19.6 points, and 10.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season. The Clippers will need more of the same from Griffin if they are to beat the Thunder this coming Friday. He recorded just 14 points and nine rebounds in Los Angeles’ two-point loss to Oklahoma City earlier this season.
Apart from Griffin, the Clippers will also need DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul to continue their stellar play tomorrow night. They combined for 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field in the win against the Blazers. Paul leads the Clips (8.4) in dimes this season while Jordan remains the chairman of the boards for Los Angeles with 11.6 rebounds a game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder absorbed their first home defeat of the season with a stunning 102-92 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Thunder simply had no answer for DeMar Derozan as the NBA’s leading scorer exploded for 37 points. It won’t get any easier for the Thunder this coming Friday as they will next face the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers are tops in the NBA in scoring defense, allowing a measly 88.3 points per game this season.
That being said, the Thunder can take comfort in the fact that they’re the only team to beat the Clippers this season. Oklahoma City edged past Los Angeles, 85-83, in a low-scoring encounter at Staples Center on November 3. Russell Westbrook was the hero for the Thunder in that contest, scoring 35 points including the game-winning jumper with 18.7 seconds left. Westbrook has been a vital cog to Oklahoma City’s early success this season, leading the team not only in points (31.1) but also in assists (9.5) as well.
The Thunder, however, will need Westbrook to be more efficient on the offensive end against the Clips. He shot just 9-of 26 from the field and committed eight turnovers in the loss to the Raptors. Westbrook has been struggling mightily from beyond the arc of late, going 4-of-18 from three-point range in his last two games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Thunder (+5) bounce back and deal the Clippers another loss, 97-92.
