The Los Angeles Clippers welcome the Portland Trail Blazers to the Staples Center for Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Action begins at 10:30 pm ET on Sunday, Apr. 17 and will air on TNT, PRI and POR.
The Clippers were beaten by the Suns 114-105 on Wednesday. Cole Aldrich had a good game in defeat for Los Angeles, recording 14 points and 10 rebounds to earn his third double-double of the season. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, are coming off a 107-99 win over the Nuggets on Wednesday. Damian Lillard led the team in scoring with 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting.
The Clippers enter the game with records of 53-29 Straight Up (SU) and 40-40-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 53-29 SU and 40-40-2 ATS versus the Western Conference. Los Angeles is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.84. Los Angeles’s defense can be considered one of the best in the league. The Clippers allow a .434 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the league.
In the other locker room, the Trail Blazers head into the game with records of 44-38 both ATS and SU. Portland performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. Portland is one of the better rebounding teams in the NBA. The Trail Blazers average 45.5 rebounds per game, making them the fifth-best team in the league for that category. The last 10 games have really brought the best of the Trail Blazers on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 94.7 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 104.3.
Los Angeles beat Portland in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record to 7-3 over the Trail Blazers in the last 10 games. On the other hand, the Trail Blazers lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC
Notes
Portland ranks sixth in points per game with 105.2, while Los Angeles ranks seventh in points allowed with an average of 100.2 given up.
Portland averages 102.2 points per away game (ranked eighth). However, Los Angeles has allowed an average of just 97.9 points per home game (ranked fifth).
The Portland Trail Blazers have a stellar 22-5 record when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Los Angeles Clippers are 11-13 when they score less than 100.
When the Portland Trail Blazers allow at least 100 points they are 22-33, while the Los Angeles Clippers are 42-16 when they reach the century mark.
The Trail Blazers have an offensive rating of 106.7 (ranked seventh), while the Clippers rank sixth for their defensive rating of 101.6.
The Los Angeles Clippers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking sixth in the league with a FG% of 46.5%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Portland Trail Blazers have a poor 11-23 record.
Los Angeles attempts an average of 26.0 three pointers per game, and Portland attempts 28.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Clippers have a 31-21 record while the Trail Blazers have a 35-25 record.
The Los Angeles Clippers, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.84, rank third in the NBA. The Portland Trail Blazers have a lower A/TO (1.51), ranking 22nd.
The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the best rebounding teams in the league, earning 45.5 rebounds per game (ranked fifth). The Los Angeles Clippers rank 25th, rebounding 42.0 times each contest.
The Portland Trail Blazers rank fourth in offensive rebounding, while the Los Angeles Clippers rank 17th in defensive rebounding.
Los Angeles ranks sixth in forced turnovers with an average rate of 15.0%. Portland has a 14-15 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
