A pair of teams that found much-needed victories for the first time this season square off Sunday when the visiting Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers try to build some momentum.
In their first game under interim head coach Tiago Splitter, the Trail Blazers rolled to a 139-119 home victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday behind 26 points and six assists from Deni Avdija. Jerami Grant added 22 points off the bench as Portland shot 53.8% from the floor.
The Clippers rebounded from a season-opening defeat at Utah with a 129-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday in their home opener. James Harden scored 30 points, while Kawhi Leonard added 27.
Caught up in off-court turmoil when head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested on multiple charges connected to an FBI gambling investigation, the Trail Blazers were able to sharpen their focus in their first game without their head coach.
Portland took control with a 41-point second quarter and led by as many as 25 points on the way to the victory. The Trail Blazers forced 25 turnovers and had a 66-30 advantage in points in the paint.
“I’m still trying to understand what is going on, but I am super proud of them (for) going through all of this stuff and going out there to perform,” said Splitter, who was doused with water in the postgame locker room celebration. “At the end of the day, they are the guys running and shooting the ball, not us, so I’m impressed.”
Portland fell 118-114 to the Minnesota Timberwolves with Billups on the bench Wednesday in its season opener after the team scored just 19 points on 4-of-19 shooting (21.1%) in the fourth quarter. The Blazers closed strong against the Warriors with 36 fourth-quarter points on 70% shooting in the period.
“It was a real surprise, but at the end of the day, we’re just hoping for the best for (Billups),” Avdija said of the coach. “We have to keep moving forward. No team is going to feel sorry for us.”
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was not trying to guide his team through an outside scandal, but he did have to answer questions for why his team started the season by getting dominated by the Utah Jazz, who had an NBA-low 17 wins last season.
After Utah shot 55.2% in Los Angeles’ 129-108 loss Wednesday, the Clippers held the Suns to 41.1% shooting Friday.
“Just got to be more aggressive on the defensive end and try not to be lackadaisical,” Leonard said. “We want to be into bodies and forcing stuff into the paint, so I think we kind of did that (against Phoenix).”
On offense, the Clippers went 16 of 29 (55.2%) from 3-point range against the Suns, with Derrick Jones Jr. (17 points) going 5 of 5 from distance and Harden going 5 of 7.
“I mean that was the first game, we came out flat (and) we never really put our foot down to stop their momentum, so that’s what’s gonna happen,” Jones said of the loss to the Jazz. “I mean, you don’t play your hardest, and you come out flat.”