Trail Blazers at Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers called out his team after their latest sub-par effort, and the competition won’t get any easier when the Portland Trail Blazers pay a visit Saturday afternoon. The Clippers are coming off a 121-104 loss to the Golden State on Wednesday after allowing the Warriors to shoot 58.1 percent from the floor. Portland, meanwhile, is fresh off a 108-87 win against visiting Dallas, its second straight blowout win after dropping the Cavaliers two nights earlier.
Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge is off to a great start in the final year of his contract, averaging 22.5 points and making half his shots from the floor. He hasn’t played to that level in his previous 22 career games against the Clippers, however, averaging 17.6 points - slightly below his career average of 18.9. The player who needs to step up for the Clippers is shooting guard J.J. Redick, a 38.8 percent shooter for his career from 3-point range who is shooting 23.3 this season. He's managed to bump that number up slightly by shooting 3-for-7 from beyond the arc in the last two games.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports West 2 (Los Angeles), CSNW (Portland)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (3-2): Wesley Matthews has quietly improved his scoring average in each of the previous two seasons and the sixth-year shooting guard appears ready to take his offensive game to another level. He’s averaging 17.8 points through the first five games while shooting 54.1 percent from the floor, which puts him second in the league among starting guards. He’ll be a tough guard for Redick, who doesn’t have the quick feet to keep a player like Matthews in front of him.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (3-2): The only starter shooting better than 50 percent from the floor is center DeAndre Jordan, who takes most of his shots within two feet of the basket. Blake Griffin hasn’t shot under 50 percent in each of his first four seasons, but he’s sitting at 49.5 coming into this game. More disturbing is the 6.4 rebounds Griffin is averaging after coming in at 10.1 for his career, a big reason why the Clippers are last in the NBA in that department.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have at least two losses after five games for the seventh straight season.
2. Clippers PG Chris Paul is averaging 14.8 points in 28 career games against Portland, the lowest against any NBA opponent.
3. Portland C Chris Kaman, who was drafted No. 6 overall by the Clippers in 2003 and spent his first eight seasons with the organization, made all six of his field-goal attempts against the Mavericks - the first Trail Blazer to be perfect on at least six shots since Juan Dixon in November 2005.
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 113, Clippers 110