If there were any doubt how important Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are to the Los Angeles Clippers during crunch time, it was eliminated after Wednesday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Portland won Game 5 of its first-round playoff series on the road, 108-98, behind a strong second half. The Clippers didn't have Paul on the floor to direct the offense or stop Damian Lillard down the stretch and were outscored 63-48 in the second half.
The Trail Blazers are now ahead 3-2 and one victory away from a second-round showdown with the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Lillard had a quiet first half, but he finished the game with 22 points, five assists and three steals. His backcourt mate, C.J. McCollum, poured in 27 points, while Mason Plumlee added a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. The two guards connected on seven three-pointers and carried the offense in the second half:
As for the Clippers, it was a balanced effort without their two stars. Six different players scored in double figures, but it was DeAndre Jordan who turned in the most impressive effort with 16 points ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Scott Polacek
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