Blazers split games with Clippers

After a back-to-back matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers last weekend, the Trail Blazers emerged with a 1-1 record. Both teams got the victory in front of their home crowd.

The Saturday clash at the Rose Garden Arena was a nail-biter, with the game coming down to the final seconds as former Blazer Jamal Crawford’s go-ahead sidestepping jumper bounced off the rim as the clock expired. Nicolas Batum was the hot hand for the Blazers, racking up his second triple-double in a week. After 12 lead changes, the Clippers held a nine-point lead with less then three minutes to play, until the Blazers offense pulled ahead with a critical 10-0 run to get the victory.

The Blazers had been ahead by as many as 14, but the lead was slowly eaten away with Clippers forward Blake Griffin seemingly dunking at will. LA, who were without point guard Chris Paul because of a bruised right kneecap, shot nearly 50 percent as a team but were unable to translate it into a win. The all-star matchup of Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge was generally an offensive battle, though Griffin had the better night with a 24-point performance, doubling Aldridge’s output.

The Sunday rematch at the Staples Center was contested primarily in the paint. The Clippers’ dynamic frontcourt dominated Portland down low, finishing with a 56-24 advantage in interior points. LA had a six-point lead at the end of the first quarter, and the game only went downhill from there for the Rip City collective. With Chris Paul out of the lineup again, Griffin stepped up his role, contributing 23 points and nine assists to go along with five boards. Aldridge logged a double-double in the loss, scoring 21 points and pulling down 11 rebounds after a lackluster 5-14 shooting performance the night before. The Clippers succeeded in slowing down Batum, who was limited to just eight points, and shot 51.2 percent from the field to end a four-game skid.

With the halfway mark of the regular season fast approaching, the Clippers are locked in a battle for the top spot in the NBA’s Western Conference with the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blazers are currently fighting it out for the number-eight seed. They’ll take on the Utah Jazz in another back-to-back series this weekend.