Without Paul and Griffin, Clippers Face Uphill Battle with Portland
On Wednesday, the NBA playoffs continue with a Western Conference showdown between the host Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers. The current line has Portland favored by 2.5 points with the over/under point total sitting on 197.5. The series is tied at 2-2.
Los Angeles will have to play Game 5 of this best of 7 series without two of its top players. The Clippers will be without Chris Paul and Blake Griffin due to injuries, when they host Portland Wednesday night.
Paul tried to steal a pass on Monday during the third quarter and broke his third metacarpal on his right hand, which needed immediate surgery Tuesday knocking him out of the remainder of the playoffs. Griffin re-aggravated an injury that sidelined him three months and is out the rest of the season.
Portland took advantage of the absence of Paul late in Game 4 to outscore Los Angeles by 12 points during the fourth quarter to even the series after pulling away late in the game. Portland’s star point guard Damian Lillard has struggled in three of the first four games shooting the ball.
However, other players such as Mason Plumlee and Al-Farouq Aminu are stepping up. Aminu scored 30 points, his career high, in Monday’s game while adding 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.
The Clippers are focusing on just winning two of the remaining three games of this series without two of its stars. Doc Rivers the Clippers head coach said the team must take each game one at a time and not worry about the injuries to players.
However, the Clippers will be without the 26.3 points per game Paul averaged over the first three games and the 15 points and almost 9 rebounds per game Griffin was averaging during the series.
Plumlee has averaged 17.5 boards and 9.5 assists during the past two games of the series, for the Clippers.
Clippers guard J.J. Redick is also battling an injury to his heel that has affected his shooting. Redick is just 5 for his past 23 over the past two games.
The UNDER has cashed in each of the past 5 games between the two teams played in Los Angeles and in each of the past 5 games overall between the two.
The host team has covered the number in each of the past 4 games between the two.
Prediction: Clippers are at home, but shorthanded with two top players sidelined and another hobbled. Portland has the confidence of coming in winning two straight. Lean toward the Trail Blazers here.
