The Clippers continue by correcting Portland

The Clippers swept Portland (128-105). They collected their 4th success in five matches. Kawhi Leonard made his comeback with a mask. He was injured in the face after a shock with his teammate Serge Ibaka. He scored 28 points (9 of 17 on shots, 7 assists).

Strengthened by their victory against the Lakers two days ago, in the same room, the Blazers arrive in confidence against the Clippers but the latter receive the reinforcement of Kawhi Leonard, masked, who returns from his injury to the mouth. The locals are the most biting at the start of the match with Serge Ibaka and Nicolas Batum striking from afar. The French even scores 8 of the first 13 points for his team.

CJ McCollum answers them but Portland suffers, with several advantageous duels at the low post for Kawhi Leonard and already a bunch of offensive possessions without a basket at the end. At 7/8 at 3-pointers to start, the Clippers aren’t messing with two bombs in a row for Paul George, and it’s already +12 in their favor.

Ivica Zubac confirms the Californian domination of a big block on Damian Lillard. Despite Carmelo Anthony who is 3/3 to end an 11-0, Los Angeles leads by 11 lengths (37-26).

The Clippers keep a warm hand in the second quarter with the gap rising to +17 after a new 3-point from Paul George, but they in turn begin to lose balloons on disagreements. Portland took the opportunity to go 12-2 with Robert Covington Jr. who found the target. Without Gary Trent Jr. injured, Anfernee Simons hit the mark at 3-pointers but Jackson, then Leonard, then Ibaka, revived LA with a new run: 13-2.

Clumsy at 3-points, Damian Lillard (1/9 on shots) lowers his head and fetch his points near the circle while CJ McCollum is scooped at 3-points, but the Clippers are two tones above in the first half , with 19 points ahead at the break (76-57). Lou Williams and Paul George are 13 points while Nicolas Batum (11) and Kawhi Leonard (12) also stroll in the soft defense of the Blazers.

Blazers in the streets
Already dropped, the Blazers are completely on the street when they return from the locker room with two stray balls entering and a 9-0 from the Clippers who drive the point home, without forcing, and are doing wonderfully at +28! Except for this big cons by Jusuf Nurkic on Serge Ibaka, and a few rockets by CJ McCollum from afar, Portland is nowhere near the image of this (massive) dunk missed by Derrick Jones Jr, from this 0/7 to 3-points from Lillard and already 15 lost balls …

Opposite, Los Angeles unfolds with offensive rebounds galore and lay-ups in spades. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are already 20 points or more away and the Clippers hit the 100 point mark… with two more minutes to go in the third quarter. The last quarter will be long for Rip City (107-85).

Enes Kanter tries to close the gap but Paul George doesn’t care. Ivica Zubac concludes a loud alley-oop and Terry Stotts soon opens his bench for “garbage time”. This allows at least to see Harry Giles again, who shines from the start at mid-distance and then on a layup with staggered support. Portland passes a 12-3, purely aesthetic at the end of the game, but must concede a clear and flawless defeat (128-105).

Defense, a point of concentration announced at the start of the season, is still at bay for the Blazers who have been dominated in the paint (52 to 26), without resistance on the penetrations of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and others. Conversely, although spanked and humiliated by Dallas, the Clippers are four wins for a single loss at the start of the season, and they are first in the West.

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