Clippers’ five-game winning streak ends in loss to Trail Blazers
Deni Avdija had 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Jrue Holiday hit seven threes and finished with 30 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped the Clippers’ five-game win streak, 114-104 on Tuesday night.
The Clippers (39-37) are eighth in the Western Conference, a half-game in front of the ninth-place Blazers (39-38). The Clippers lead the season series — which wraps up April 10 in Portland — with the Blazers 2-1.
Toumani Camara scored 17 points and Scoot Henderson added 15 for the Trail Blazers.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 23 points. Darius Garland scored 20, Brook Lopez 18, John Collins added 17 and Jordan Miller 16 points.
Leonard has scored at least 20 points in 52 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak of its kind in the NBA (Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a 136-game streak).
Matisse Thybulle hit a three-pointer that made it 31-29 with 1:06 left in the first quarter and the Blazers led the rest of the way.
Garland made a bucket in the lane that trimmed the Clippers’ deficit to eight with 3:44 left in the third quarter but they got no closer. Henderson hit a step-back three at the buzzer to cap a 16-5 run that made it 91-74 going into the fourth.
Portland had 18 offensive rebounds and 32 second-chance points. The Blazers went into the game leading the NBA in second-chance points (18.2 per game) and are second in offensive rebounds (14.1 per game).
Avdija made 11 of 12 from the free-throw line and has 31 games this season with at least 10 free-throw attempts, second most in the NBA behind Luka Doncic.
Portland’s Jerami Grant (calf) missed his second consecutive game.
Up next for the Clippers: vs. San Antonio at Intuit Dome on Thursday.