Overview
- Portland beat the Clippers 116-97, moving to 41-40 and into the West’s No. 8 spot, with Los Angeles also 41-40 but now No. 9 with one game left each.
- Deni Avdija led all scorers with 35 points and closed the game with 15 in the fourth quarter to fuel Portland’s decisive run.
- Portland controlled the paint with a 60-39 edge on the glass and overcame 12-for-39 three-point shooting by hitting 30 of 35 free throws.
- The Blazers turned 17 Clippers turnovers into 24 points, while Kawhi Leonard scored 24 and Brook Lopez added 21 for Los Angeles.
- Trade-deadline additions Darius Garland (5-for-16, 3 turnovers) and Bennedict Mathurin (scoreless in 5 minutes) struggled, and the Clippers now face a two-win play-in path as Portland’s 7–8 route requires only one win to advance.