April 20, 2016
Page 9
Playoff Run Begins
Blazers face
Clippers in Los
Angeles
(AP) Chris Paul had 28 points
and 11 assists as one of three Clip-
pers with a double-double, leading
Los Angeles to a 115-95 victory
over the Portland Trail Blazers
in the opener of their irst-round
playoff series Sunday night.
Blake Grifin had 19 points
and 12 rebounds, DeAndre Jordan
added 18 points and 12 rebounds
and J.J. Redick had 17 points. The
Clippers are 6-0 with Grifin in the
lineup since he returned from a
45-game absence two weeks ago.
Damian Lillard led the Blazers
with 21 points, while backcourt
mate CJ McCollum was held to
nine points. They combined to
average 45.9 points this season,
third-highest by any duo in the
NBA. Against the Clippers, they
shot a combined 10 of 28.
Happy Birthday Jeff
Love Shay, Alayah
and Jayden
Birthday Memory
In memory of Bynon
DeWayne Watterson
April 19, 1970 to
August 19, 2015
Game 2 of the best-of-seven
series is Wednesday night at the
Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Led by Paul and Grifin, the
Clippers were their lashy Lob
City selves dunking, scoring in
transition and diving after loose
balls. The Blazers never got un-
tracked while shooting under 40
percent for much of the game.
Their only lead was by one point
in the second quarter of the irst
postseason meeting between the
teams.
The Clippers shot 54 percent
S PORTS
and owned a 48-34 edge in the
paint.
The Clippers outscored Port-
land 30-13 over both halves to
lead 65-48 in the third. Grifin
slammed down two dunks over
Mason Plumlee early in the quar-
ter, the second on a two-handed
jam with Plumlee hanging off
Grifin’s right side that drew a
foul.
Midway through the second
quarter, Paul scored 12 of the
Clippers’ last 15 points to give
them a 50-42 lead at the break.
Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul is pressured by Portland Trail Blazers’ Their defense held Portland to
Damian Lillard on Sunday in Game 1 of the irst-round NBA basket- seven points over the inal 5:50 of
ball playoff series. Game 2 is Wednesday in Los Angeles. (AP photo) the quarter.