Paul George tallied 27 points, while James Harden contributed with 19 points and 14 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers secured a 116-103 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.
This win propelled the Clippers to a one-game advantage over the New Orleans Pelicans for the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff standings. Scoot Henderson showcased his skills with 18 points and five assists for Portland, while rookie Kris Murray recorded a season-best 17 points.
The two teams are scheduled to face each other again on Friday night in Portland to wrap up their two-game series. The Clippers dominated the third quarter with a 34-point performance, highlighted by Kawhi Leonard’s 17 points out of his total of 24, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Following a 60-50 halftime lead, the Clippers surged ahead in the third quarter.
Although Portland trimmed the lead to eight early in the third quarter, Los Angeles quickly extended it to 72-58, prompting a timeout from the Blazers.
Portland struggled with turnovers in the third quarter, committing seven which resulted in 13 points for the Clippers. The Clippers’ lead continued to grow, reaching 84-60 after Amir Coffey’s 3-pointer, which forced another timeout from Portland.
Coach Tyronn Lue praised the Clippers’ professionalism in extending their leads even after timeouts, emphasizing their ability to maintain momentum throughout the game.
Los Angeles outscored Portland 34-20 in the third quarter, establishing their dominance further. The Clippers held a lead of up to 27 points at one stage. In the second quarter, the Clippers surged to a 47-35 lead, spurred on by consecutive 3-pointers from James Harden, prompting a timeout from the Blazers with 6:04 left in the half.
