The 4-5 matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers was expected to be the most competitive series in the Western Conference playoffs. However, the Clippers stamped their class all over the young Blazers with a commanding 115-95 win in Game 1. Will the extra day off be enough time for the Blazers to make the proper adjustments for Game 2 on Wednesday?
Read on for our complete preview of Game 2 below. And for more NBA Playoff coverage, check out our preview of the Hornets vs. Heat Game 2.
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Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers Game 2 Preview
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
When: Wednesday, April 20, 2016, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Los Angeles Clippers (-8.5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (+8.5); total 209.0 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers
People may have forgotten, but the Los Angeles Clippers are a pretty awesome offensive team when they have their full complement of weapons. They were certainly firing on all cylinders in Game 1, as they shot a sizzling 54 percent from the field en route to a 20-point home win.
Chris Paul paced six Clippers in double-figures with 28 points, and also added 11 assists. Blake Griffin, who missed nearly three months due to a broken hand, was also razor-sharp with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
The Blazers defense is predicated on taking away the three-point line and surrendering mid-range jumpers, and that plays right into Paul and Griffin’s strengths. They can just pick-and-roll opposing offenses into submission, and if the Blazers ever decide to trap Paul, he has a ready outlet in Griffin, one of the best playmaking big men in the league, to pick them apart.
Speaking of traps, the Clippers’ aggressive defense also stood out in Game 1. They threw multiple defenders at Lillard to force the ball out of his hands, and the rest of the Blazers just couldn’t make plays they needed to make.
The Clippers’ supporting cast, in comparison, is much more experienced and flat-out better than their Blazers counterparts. DeAndre Jordan, JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford combined for 48 points in Game 1.
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Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers looked every bit the young, inexperienced team that they are as they were blown out in Game 1 by the Clippers.
The Blazers just couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end. Damian Lillard’s struggles against the Clippers continued. He averaged just 18 PPG against them this season, way down from his 25 PPG season average, and was limited to a quiet 21 points in Game 1.
Meanwhile, C.J. McCollum, who averaged close to 21 points per game this season, was also held to just nine points, his lowest scoring output since February. The Blazers as a team shot just under 40 percent for the game and 10-of-30 from three.
The Blazers, who shot 37 percent from beyond the arc this season (4th-best in the NBA), should be able to bounce back from an unusually poor shooting night. Lillard and McCollum are elite shot makers, while Terry Stotts is a very canny offensive coach who has an extra day to make some strategic adjustments for Game 2.
However, the more pressing concern for the Blazers lies on the defensive end. They’re not the best defensive team as it is (they’re just 20th in defensive efficiency), and don’t really have the players to match up with a fully healthy Clippers team on that end of the court.
The Blazers are also playing very poorly away from home. They’re now just 2-10 in their last 12 road games.
Writer’s Prediction
It’s more of the same from Paul and Griffin as the Clippers take full control of the series with a 110-98 win in Game 2.
