Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) beat LA the Clippers (41-40) 116-97 at home on Friday, April 10, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Trail Blazers had the better start, winning the first 33-24 to lead by 9 after one. The Trail Blazers kept the pressure on with a 28-27 second quarter, carrying a 10-point lead into halftime.
The Clippers won the third 33-25 to stay in front, taking a 2-point lead into the fourth. The Trail Blazers took the fourth 30-13; the Trail Blazers finished the job for a 116-97 regulation win.
What decided it
The Trail Blazers made 36.1 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 14.5 for the Clippers. The Trail Blazers grabbed 35.9% of their own misses, while the Clippers recovered 23.8%. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Trail Blazers produced 121 points per 100 possessions to 101.2 for the Clippers.
The Trail Blazers' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 40-16.
Who made the difference
Deni Avdija was the game's biggest individual force for POR: 35 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast on 11-19 shooting. His Game Score of 27.9 led everyone. His team was +9 with him on the floor.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 24 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast on 10-20 shooting, good for a 20.7 Game Score.
Donovan Clingan (18 pts, 13 reb, 2 ast) and Robert Williams III (13 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 59% for the Trail Blazers.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, LA the Clippers lead 4-2.
The Trail Blazers are now 41-40, and the Clippers are 41-40. The Trail Blazers last five before this game: W-W-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.