Jrue Holiday scored 30 points and Deni Avdija recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the Portland Trail Blazers scored a crucial 114-104 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday in Inglewood, Calif.
Portland (39-38) pulled within a half-game of Los Angeles (39-37) for eighth place in the Western Conference, a spot that would require just one play-in win instead of two to reach the playoffs. The Blazers turned in an inspired performance, taking the lead late in the first quarter and never relinquishing it.
Avdija’s five consecutive points, then a pair of assists to Toumani Camara and Kris Murray, ignited a 16-2 run midway through the second quarter.
The surge gave Portland a double-digit-point cushion that reached as many as 19 points. Los Angeles never got closer than eight points after halftime.
A 48-30 advantage on the boards helped the Blazers deny Los Angeles any rally opportunity. Portland attacked the offensive glass especially effectively, snaring 18 that led to 32 second-chance points.
Camara and Murray each snared four of their seven total rebounds on the offensive glass. Avdija, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan all pulled down two offensive boards.
Clingan also delivered one of the highlight-reel moments of the night, scoring half of his four points on a third-quarter fastbreak dunk set on a lob pass from Holiday.
Camara added 17 points and Henderson finished with 15 as Portland took the first of two late-season matchups between the teams.
Los Angeles came into the night on a five-game winning streak, but committing 14 turnovers and getting dominated on the glass contributed to end of the Clippers’ hot run. So too did an unusual off scoring night from bench spark plug Bennedict Mathurin, who finished with just four points on 2-of-7 success from the floor.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 23 points and eight rebounds. Darius Garland added 20 points, Brook Lopez put up 18, John Collins had 17 and Jordan Miller contributed 16.
