Lob City? More like Blowout City. The Los Angeles Clippers have pounded the poor Portland Trail Blazers with back-to-back 20-point wins to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their 2016 Western Conference first round series. As the series now shifts to Portland, do the Blazers have any answers to the Clips’ dominance on both ends of the court?
Get a full breakdown of the Clips-Blazers Game 3 below. And for more NBA Playoff action this weekend, check out our Game 4 previews of the Raptors vs. Pacers and Thunder vs. Mavericks.
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Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers Game 3 Preview
Where: Moda Center, Portland
When: Saturday, April 23, 2016, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Los Angeles Clippers (-2.5) at Portland Trail Blazers (+2.5); total 207.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are simply firing on all cylinders on both ends of the court in this series.
Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, who combined for 37 points in Game 1, were limited to just 15 in Game 2, but it hardly mattered as the suddenly contributing Clippers bench exploded for 43 big points, 33 more than their Blazer counterparts.
However, the biggest story so far has been the Clippers’ absolutely awesome job on defense. Their aggressive pick-and-roll defense has completely knocked both Lillard and CJ McCollum off their game.
Through two games, the Blazers’ dynamic backcourt has averaged just 31.5 points – way down from its regular season average of 46 PPG – on a miserable 33 percent shooting from the field. The Clips also held the Blazers as a team to 34 percent shooting and 19 percent from beyond the arc in Game 2.
Given how dominant they’ve been through the first two games, it’s hard to see the Clippers slowing down even as they head on the road. They just seem so locked in on defense and have the superior firepower on offense.
The Clippers are 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four visits to Portland.
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers
There are very few positives the Blazers can take back home after getting blown out twice at Staples Center. Before completely falling apart in the fourth, though, they were looking pretty competitive for the first three quarters of Game 2, and actually outscored the Clips in a quarter for the first time in the series during the second.
Meanwhile, after a quiet Game 1, Mo Harkless and Mason Plumlee both made their presence felt more in Game 2 by combining for 29 points and 17 rebounds.
But as well as those two played, the team just can’t make this series competitive if their dynamic duo of Lillard and McCollum don’t get going on offense. Lillard started playing more off the ball due to the Clippers’ trapping, but that still wasn’t enough to get his shot back on track. He went just 6-of-22 from the field and 0-for-6 from three in Game 2.
It’ll definitely help the confidence of this young team to be playing back home. After all, there’s a reason the Blazers were 28-13 at home and just 16-25 on the road, the biggest home-road disparity of any Western Conference playoff team.
Lillard and McCollum can be very streaky, and if they get some shots to go, the crowd suddenly gets energized and they can go on a run. The Blazers are an impressive 17-3 in their last 20 home games. They’re just 10-10 ATS, but they were an underdog in just one of those games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Clippers (-2.5) continue their dominance with a 107-100 road win.
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