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Tuesday, Apr. 18 10:30pm ET
Blazers extend Clippers' skid to 17 | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Portland Trail Blazers were looking ahead. It didn't really matter since they were playing the Los Angeles Clippers. "We were trying to contain and keep our rhythm going into the playoffs," said Scottie Pippen, who scored 18 points as the Trail Blazers dealt the Clippers their 17th straight loss, 116-100 Tuesday night. There was nothing concrete at stake for either team and, although the Trail Blazers seemed to consider the game a tuneup for the postseason, they played plenty well enough to beat the NBA's worst team. "I'm sure they (Portland's players) are looking forward to the playoffs, to get it started, to get it going," Trail Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy said. Brian Grant, who scored 15 for Portland, said, "I think tonight we got a chance to work on some of our defensive schemes." Steve Smith had 24 points, Rasheed Wallace 14 and Arvydas Sabonis 12 for the Trail Blazers, whose 59-22 record is second in the league, behind only the Lakers' 67-14. Portland closes out the regular season Wednesday at Denver. For the Clippers, it was business as usual as they dropped to 14-67. They fell behind 3½ minutes into the game and trailed by double digits most of the rest of the way. A sellout crowd of 18,964 was at the game, the Clippers' last at home before they close their season -- the second worst in the woeful franchise's history -- on Wednesday at Seattle. "I just wanted to do something for the crowd," said Tyrone Nesby, who had 20 points for the Clippers. "We just wanted to keep playing hard." Smith was 11-of-16 from the floor as the Trail Blazers shot 64 percent to Los Angeles' 45 percent. Derek Anderson also had 20 points for Los Angeles, Lamar Odom had 15 points and Michael Olowokandi 10 points and 14 rebounds. The Clippers cut the lead to 59-49 early in the third quarter, but Smith and Pippen then hit consecutive 3-pointers and Portland went on to lead 86-70 heading into the final quarter. Los Angeles did not threaten again. The Trail Blazers were up 57-45 at halftime, with Smith leading the way with 17 points. Odom scored 14 for Los Angeles in the first half to keep the game from turning into a runaway. Maurice Taylor, the Clippers' top scorer this season at 17.1 points a game, missed his fourth game in a row with a sore left ankle and might be unable to play against Seattle -- which would also be his final game with the team. Taylor will leave as a free agent after the season. Smith had eight points and Wallace seven as Portland outscored Los Angeles 15-6 over the last six minutes of the opening quarter to open a 36-20 lead. The 1999-2000 Clippers, with one game left, are assured of having the second most losses ever by the franchise. That distinction belongs to the 1986-87 team, which lost 70 games. Game notesThe Clippers' first season at the Staples Center was a box-office success by their standards, as they drew a franchise-record 559,714, an average of 13,651 a game. ... Portland earlier locked up the third seed in the Western Conference and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, with the exception of a possible series against the Lakers. ... With a victory over the Nuggets in the regular-season finale Wednesday at Denver, the Trail Blazers would reach 60 wins in a season for only the second time in franchise history. The 1990-91 Portland team went 63-19, but lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Portland Clubhouse LA Clippers Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 114 Washington 81
Portland 116
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