Clippers Big 3 dominate Blazers

LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul had 28 points and 11 assists as one of three Clippers with a double-double, leading Los Angeles to a 115-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the opener of their first-round playoff series Sunday (Monday Manila time).

Blake Griffin had 19 points and 12 rebounds, DeAndre Jordan added 18 points and 12 rebounds and J.J. Redick had 17 points. The Clippers are 6-0 with Griffin in the lineup since he returned from a 45-game absence two weeks ago.

Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 21 points, while backcourt mate CJ McCollum was held to nine points. They combined to average 45.9 points this season, third-highest by any duo in the NBA. Against the Clippers, they shot a combined 10 of 28.

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Led by Paul and Griffin, the Clippers were their flashy Lob City selves – dunking, scoring in transition and diving after loose balls. The Blazers never got untracked while shooting under 40 percent for much of the game. Their only lead was by one point in the second quarter of the first postseason meeting between the teams.

The Clippers shot 54 percent, owned a 48-34 edge in the paint, and outscored Portland 30-13 over both halves to lead 65-48 in the third.

Griffin slammed down two dunks over Mason Plumlee early in the quarter, the second on a two-handed jam with Plumlee hanging off Griffin’s right side that drew a foul.

Midway through the second quarter, Paul scored 12 of the Clippers’ last 15 points to give them a 50-42 lead at the break. Their defense held Portland to seven points over the final 5:50 of the quarter.

Griffin dominated in the first quarter during a 16-7 run that gave the Clippers an eight-point lead, their largest of the first half. He scored eight points, dunking one-handed after knocking down Lillard and getting fouled hard by Plumlee on his way to the basket.

There was a mass exodus with the Clippers leading by 18 with 3:14 left in the game.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Clippers’s Griffin returns to practice

LOS ANGELES, United States — Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin returned to practice Saturday, moving closer to a return from thigh and hand injuries.

Griffin has missed the past 41 games and once he’s fit must still serve a four-game ban for the January incident in which he broke his right hand punching Clippers equipment staffer Matias Testi.

Griffin, who was sidelined by a quadriceps injury at the time, needed surgery, and his suspension won’t start until he is medically cleared to play.

“I don’t know if one practice is enough to activate him,” coach Doc Rivers said. “We’ve got to activate him when we think he’s ready to play.”

The Clippers would like to activate Griffin as soon as possible to get him some playing time prior to the start of the playoffs.

But just having him practicing with the team has its own benefits.

“We can start, kind of, putting our playoff stuff in,” Rivers said. “Now, even if he doesn’t play right away, at least we can work on it. That’ll help us.”

At this point, just having Griffin competing and contributing when the post-season begins next month is the goal.

“I don’t care if it’s zero (regular-season games), to be honest, now, as long as he’s playing to start the playoffs,” Rivers said. “Is that an ideal way of going into a playoff series? No, but I’d rather have him than not.”

source: sports.inquirer.net