The LA Clippers wrapped up the final road game of their regular season on Friday with a trip to face the Portland Trail Blazers. Even though oddsmakers had them as underdogs, not many would have predicted a 116-97 defeat at the Moda Center.
For most of the night, the game felt evenly matched. Early in the fourth quarter, with 10:39 left, the score was tied at 88. Up to that point, there had already been 8 lead changes and 9 ties, showing just how tight things were. Then everything shifted, with Portland finding another gear. Shortly after, they went on a dominant 21-5 run that put the game out of LA’s reach.
Deni Avdija led the way for the Blazers with an impressive 35 points and 5 assists, helping his team snap a two-game losing streak. Donovan Clingan also made a strong impact, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds for a solid double-double.
For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard stuffed the stat sheet, putting up 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Brook Lopez chipped in 21 points, while Darius Garland and Derrick Jones Jr. combined for 26. Jordan Miller added 15 off the bench, but beyond that, the second unit struggled to contribute. That lack of depth showed, especially with Portland’s bench outscoring the Clippers 40-21.
LA Clippers Playoffs Picture: Updated Standings
After Friday’s loss at the Moda Center, the LA Clippers dropped to 41-40. That puts them level with the Blazers in overall record, but Portland has moved ahead in the standings, pushing the Clippers down to ninth.
Normally, the first tiebreaker would be the season series between the two teams. However, since they split their matchups 2-2 this year, the league looks at the next criterion, which is conference record.
Portland holds the edge there, going 28-23 against Western Conference teams, while the Clippers are 24-27 against the West. Because of that stronger conference performance, the Blazers take the higher spot.
LA Clippers Playoffs Picture: Remaining Schedule
The LA Clippers are set to play their final game of the season at home against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. They have had the upper hand in this matchup so far, leading the season series 2-1 against their Pacific Division rivals.
However, even a win over the Warriors may not be enough to move the Clippers out of the 9-10 range and into the 7-8 range in the Western Conference. The Suns have already locked in the #7 seed, and for the Clippers to climb to #8, they would need the Blazers to lose their game.
That outcome looks unlikely. Portland is facing the struggling Sacramento Kings, who sit near the bottom of the conference in 14th place. On top of that, the Blazers have completely controlled this matchup all season, already securing a 3-0 series advantage over the Kings.
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