Clippers Dominate To Beat Blazers, 102-81, Take 2-0 Lead

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Paul scored 25 points, J.J. Redick added 17 and the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 102-81 Wednesday night and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Damian Lillard and Mason Plumlee led the Blazers with 17 points each. CJ McCollum added 16 after being held to nine in their 20-point loss in the series opener. Plumlee and Al-Farouq Aminu had 10 rebounds each. Portland shot a season-worst 34.1 percent.

Game 3 is Saturday in Portland.

Blake Griffin had 12 points and nine rebounds and DeAndre Jordan had 18 rebounds for the Clippers, who shot 46 percent and topped 100 points for the second straight game.

The Clippers' bench put the game out of reach in the fourth, stretching a six-point lead to 16 before Redick, Paul and Griffin returned with 7:38 to play. Griffin made his presence felt immediately with a monstrous cutting dunk that roused the crowd.

Los Angeles' reserves opened the fourth on a 14-4 run. McCollum's struggles in that stretch were emblematic of the entire game. He turned the ball over and missed a 3-pointer while the Clippers kept converting at their end. Wesley Johnson grabbed an offensive rebound and hit a turnaround jumper, Austin Rivers hit a 3-pointer and Jamal Crawford benefited from a goaltending call.

The Blazers' only lead came on the game's opening basket. They got better production from McCollum (nine points in Game 1) and Plumlee (four points, five rebounds and no assists in Game 1), but were doomed by their shooting.

Both teams' shooting woes continued into the third quarter, when the Clippers led by 12 before Portland closed within three. Each time, the Clippers came up with a basket — Paul dunked and hit a 3-pointer and Jordan dunked to keep Portland at bay, taking a 67-61 lead into the fourth. The Clippers were 9 for 24 and the Blazers were 6 for 24 in the period.

The Clippers opened a 15-point lead early in the second quarter before the Blazers closed on a 24-13 spurt to trail 47-43 at the break. The Clippers' defense was especially good, with Cole Aldrich, Jeff Green and Jordan coming up with big blocks. Portland struggled on 16-of-47 shooting in the half, with Lillard making just two layups.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: They had four team fouls in the game's first 1:26. ... At 24.89 years of age, they are the youngest team in this year's playoffs. ... They are 76-37 all-time at home in the playoffs, including 37-23 in the first round. ... The Blazers fell to 13-5 when playing on two or more days of rest this season.

Clippers: Jordan was called for a loose ball foul on the opening tip. ... They improved to 6-7 all-time in Game 2 of a best-of-seven series.

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