The Los Angeles Clippers welcome the Portland Trail Blazers to the Staples Center for Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. The game gets underway at 10:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Apr. 27 and will air on POR, NBA and C+D.
The Clippers are expecting a better outcome after their 98-84 loss to the Trail Blazers on Monday. Chris Paul had a good game for Los Angeles, recording 16 points, four assists, and three steals.
The Clippers come into this game 55-31 Straight Up (SU) and 42-42-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 55-31 SU and 42-42-2 ATS against the Western Conference. Few teams in the league have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Los Angeles, which ranks third at 1.85. Turning to the defensive side, teams have to fight for open shots against the Clippers, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .432.
On the other side, the Trail Blazers have 45-40 SU and ATS records. Portland has records of 45-40 SU and ATS against the West. The Trail Blazers have controlled the glass with an average of 45.8 rebounds per game, fifth in the league. The Trail Blazers average 104.0 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 92.0 points per game during that span.
Portland beat Los Angeles in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Los Angeles in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. At 5-5, they are even ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC
Notes
On average, Portland puts up 104.6 points per game (ranked sixth). Los Angeles ranks seventh in points allowed per game with 99.9.
Portland puts up 101.6 points per away game, ranking 12th in the league. Los Angeles gives up just 97.5 points per home game (ranked fourth).
Portland has an outstanding 24-5 record when it allows under 100 points this season. Los Angeles is 11-15 when it puts up under 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Trail Blazers are just 22-35 this season. Los Angeles is a solid 44-16 when registering triple digits.
The Trail Blazers have an offensive rating of 106.3 (ranked seventh), while the Clippers rank sixth for their defensive rating of 101.4.
The Los Angeles Clippers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the league with a FG% of 46.4%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Portland Trail Blazers have a poor 11-25 record.
On average, the Los Angeles Clippers attempt 26.0 three point field goals per game and the Portland Trail Blazers attempt 28.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Los Angeles has a 31-22 record and Portland has a 37-27 record.
The Los Angeles Clippers, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.85, rank third in the NBA. The Portland Trail Blazers have a lower A/TO (1.52), ranking 23rd.
The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the best rebounding teams in the league, earning 45.8 rebounds per game (ranked fifth). The Los Angeles Clippers rank 25th, rebounding 42.3 times each contest.
The Portland Trail Blazers rank third in offensive rebounding, while the Los Angeles Clippers rank 16th in defensive rebounding.
Los Angeles is among the best in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.0% (ranked seventh). Portland has a 16-15 record SU when its TOV% reaches 15.0% or greater.
