Los Angeles eyes important win over Portland
Any team featuring Chris Paul and Blake Griffin shouldn’t experience trouble putting the ball in the hoop. The Clippers’ prowess on the other end of the floor, though, is attracting the most attention at Staples Center.
Los Angeles carries a three-game winning streak into this evening’s matchup against Portland. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives Doc Rivers’ group odds of -700 to improve to 7-1. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers represent +450 underdogs.
Unsurprisingly, Paul shows no signs of slowing down at age 31. The nine-time All-Star’s 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds keyed a 114-82 rout of Detroit on Monday. Griffin’s certainly joining the fun, too, having already posted five double-doubles through seven contests.
Still, few would’ve predicted the Clips’ defensive dominance. They’re allowing a league-low 89.4 points per tilt. Center DeAndre Jordan, fresh off a string of impressive performances at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, has corralled 84 boards in 212 minutes. Paul even paces all players in steals with 23.
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Such doggedness could wreak havoc on the folks from Rip City. Portland (5-3) outlasted Phoenix about 10 hours ago, 124-121, thanks primarily to Damian Lillard’s 38-point eruption. Yet we question the ability of Terry Stotts’ bunch to keep up with the hosts here. Place your trust in Paul & Co.
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