1blazersclips.jpeg

Greetings from the Moda Center, where we're already a few minutes in. So I'll dispense with the pleasantries and get right to it.

Just one thing before I do—this is a BIG game. More than a potential playoff preview, tonight's showdown between the Blazers and Clippers is significant in terms of seeding in the ultra-tight West. With a victory Portland would jump a half-game ahead of Los Angeles, as well as tie the season series.

FIRST QUARTER:

5:32 - Solid start for the home team. All five Blazers starters have scored. Nicolas Batum leads them with five points. Also worth noting: building an early lead bodes especially well tonight, as the Clippers are on the second night of a back-to-back. Los Angeles logged HEAVY minutes in last night's embarassing loss to the Warriors. Blazers 17, Clippers 12.

5:02 - Well, Blake Griffin's taking—and making—three's now. I say let him keep shooting.

3:05 - Lillard dribbles through the legs then pops a three in Chris Paul's eye. Swish. Blazers up, 25-17.

0:00 - With :5.6 on the clock Portland's inbounds pass is tipped into the back court, but the Blazers corral, and find Aldridge, who beats the buzzer with a long two. He finishes with 16 in the quarter.

That was just about everything a Blazer fan could want in the opening period. Portland put the Clippers in an early hole, and they'll have to expend extra energy to get out. It bodes well to keep L.A. playing catch-up, as they played such heavy minutes the night before. Now, with the second units on the floor, the Blazers really want to make hay—the Clippers bench is just awful. Portland 33, Los Angeles 26.

SECOND QUARTER:

9:58 - Just as predicted, the Blazers are widening the lead against L.A.'s sub-par bench. All of a sudden Portland are up 41-26.

8:24 - Instead of cheering Hedo Turkoglu, which Portland fans still do for supposedly refusing a free agent offer, they should be cheering him. Really, we should all be in agreement: he's a schlubby pile of trash weighing down another team's roster.

5:58 - The Clippers defense is almost non-existent. The Blazers are getting open shot after open shot—they're coming from inside and out. Shooting 64% from the field, Portland's lead has ballooned to 19. Blazers 51, Clippers 32.

5:20 - After decimating Arron Afflalo's drive with a violent block, DeAndre Jordan scares the pants off Afflalo's second attempt. Flustered and knowing another block was coming, Afflalo just kind of let go of the ball, flailing in wild fear.

1:35 - Nicolas Batum's got 15 points and he's making three's (3-of-3). And when Nicolas Batum is scoring and making three's the Blazers are in good hands. Indeed. Portland up, 62-48.

0:00 - The Clippers aren't going to roll over just yet. But nor have the Blazers showed any signs of slowing. Portland have managed a whopping 68 points at the half, led by LaMarcus Aldridge's 20, and Nicolas Batum's 15.

THIRD QUARTER

9:40 - Batum hits his fourth three, answering a Clippers mini-run. Blazers up, 73-59.

5:54 - The game is getting a little sloppy, a little up and down. The Clippers have had shots at cutting the deficit to single-digits, but they've rattled out. Blazers up, 75-63.

5:00 - HOLY. SHIT. Chris Paul just fed an alley-oop to DeAndre Jordan, who had his back to the basket. Jordan caught the ball and reversed it. I've never seen anything like that. Ever.

4:25 - Clippers cut the lead down to five before Nicolas Batum drills a three and is fouled. But... he clanks the free throw. Blazers up, 78-70.

2:25 - It was starting to get pretty damn tense in here, after the Clippers cut Portland's lead to five. But the Blazers answered with 13-4 run. Damian Lillard caps it with a fall-away three and the Blazers lead is back up to 14. Portland 88, L.A. 74.

:25.7 - Chris Kaman just LEVELED Chris Paul with a shove. Paul, who hit the deck, came running to Kaman to retaliate, but didn't seem to throw any punches. Glen "Big Baby" Davis tried to intervene. It got wild. Kaman almost surely will be ejected.

Replay shows that, in a scrum for a rebound, Paul hit Kaman in the groin—hard to tell whether it was on purpose. Kaman responded with a shove to Paul, who had his back turned.

The Moda Center crowd, riled up, got on its feet, chanting, deliriously, "Let's Go Blazers!"

Wow—Kaman, assessed a flagrant, allowed to stay in the game. Also, check out this epic flop from Big Baby Davis:


0:00 - For all the bluster, Kaman's shove turned into a four-point possession for the Clippers, who are now within seven.

FOURTH QUARTER

10:41 - The wheels are in danger of falling off for the Blazers. The scrum with Kaman and Paul might've given the Clippers just what they needed—a burst of adrenaline. Portland's lead is down to five and it could've been just two, had that last J.J. Redick three not gone in-and-out. Portland 92, L.A. 87.

8:52 - Be thankful for Big Baby Davis, who just leveled Dorell Wright well after Wright released a three that just missed. After the timeout Wright will head to the line for three free throws, and the chance to add a little breathing room to this 96-92 Blazers lead.

7:06 - Redick is getting the better of Afflalo. Redick shakes free, leaves Afflalo in the dust, and drains a three. Clippers within one. Portland 98, L.A. 97. Blazers call timeout to get the starters back in.

3:46 - The Clippers have now drained four consecutive three's—two from Redick, on from Griffin, and one from Paul. Suddenly the Clippers are up seven.

2:20 - Blazers, desperate for anything now, have gone to the hack-a-Jordan. Portland trails, 116-108.

:44 - Fans are headed to the exits here at Moda Center. Or, they were until Damian Lillard's missed free throw was rebounded by Aldridge, who scored on an and-one, which resulted in a four-point possession. Still, the Blazers are down 122-117.

:8.5 - Looked like Redick got away with one, shoving off Nicolas Batum, though he wasn't whistled for the offensive foul. Portland fans are PISSED. Blazers would've had the ball, down three... It just doesn't seem to be Portland's night though—all that changed with the Kaman foul.

:00 - Clippers hit their free throws and go on to win, 126-122. Real disappointing, after Portland led by as many as 17. Can't help but think the fracus surrounding Kaman's foul turned the tides and energized the Clippers.