Clippers crush Trail Blazers for 1st win of season

LOS ANGELES — It was similar a commercialized for IcyHot.

The Icy: Damian Lillard, who changeable 4 for 15 and 0 for 8 from 3-point scope for 12 points successful 28 minutes.

The Hot: Luke Kennard, who changeable 8 for 10, including a 6-for-7 people from 3-point scope and scored 23 points successful 24 minutes disconnected the bench.

The predictable result, considering the make-or-miss quality of the NBA: Clippers 116, Portland Trail Blazers 86.

In Tyronn Lue’s archetypal coaching matchup against his person Chauncy Billups, the Clippers showed nary mercy, rubbing it successful for their archetypal triumph this play earlier a lively Monday nighttime assemblage astatine Staples Center.

Kennard seemed to deliberation helium was successful Sunny San Diego, dominating similar it was a grooming campy play tourney oregon a sportfishing travel with his teammates.

The Clippers person drilled it into his conscience (and, likely, his subconscious) that helium needs to sprout astatine each conceivable opportunity.

He obliged Monday, firing astatine volition – and connected target. The left-hander from Duke came disconnected the seat and did astir of his harm successful the tone-setting archetypal half, draining his archetypal 5 shots and finishing the archetypal fractional with 17 points successful 17 minutes connected 6-for-7 shooting, including 4 for 5 from deep.

On the different end, the Clippers clamped down, forced 30 turnovers and the typically sensational Lillard stalled and sputtered.

Even without antiaircraft pest Patrick Beverley connected the roster to hassle him anymore, Lillard had a pugnacious clip solving the Clippers. The lone squad against whom he’s averaged less than 20 points per crippled (19.4 going into Monday’s game), Lillard ne'er warmed up.

He went into halftime 3 for 8 and 0 for 5 from 3-point range. He exited the crippled with 2:02 near successful the 3rd 4th having made lone 1 much changeable – a layup that chopped a steadily ballooning Clippers pb to 60-44 with 10:35 to spell successful the third.

In 3 games this season, Lillard is an uncharacteristic 2 for 24 from 3-point range.

To his credit, Lillard tried to get it going. He coiled up and attempted to propulsion down a dunk implicit the Clippers’ reserve 7-foot halfway Isaiah Hartenstein – and was stopped cold. To adhd insult to the miss, helium besides was called for an violative foul.

Fast guardant a fewer possessions and determination was Terance Mann (13 points connected 5-for-6 shooting) foiling Lillard’s fallaway attempt.

Mann and Kennard helped screen up immoderate of the Clippers’ shaky shooting arsenic they avoided their archetypal 0-3 commencement since 2010-11, erstwhile Vinny Del Negro was successful his archetypal play arsenic their coach.

Paul George had a career-high 8 steals – finishing with much takeaways than baskets connected a nighttime erstwhile helium went 6 for 16 from the level and 2 for 8 from deep. Reggie Jackson changeable 6 for 20 and 3 for 15 from deep.

The precocious engaged Kennard, though, was firing connected each cylinders. His six 3-pointers tied a vocation high. He besides had 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 blocked changeable and a steal. The Clippers finished with 37 assists connected their 44 tract goals.

After losing their archetypal 2 games by a combined 8 points, the Clippers got the rout going early. Despite being down Marcus Morris Sr. (knee), successful summation to Kawhi Leonard (ACL) and Serge Ibaka (back), L.A. cruised, breaking it unfastened precocious successful the archetypal period.

The Clippers led by arsenic galore arsenic 18 points successful the 2nd quarter, acknowledgment successful portion to a precocious first-quarter surge from a quintet that featured Jackson, Kennard, Hartenstein, Mann and Justise Winslow, who outscored Portland 14-4 successful the last 3:57 of the archetypal frame.

A instrumentality favourite already, Clippers rookie Brandon Boston Jr. made his pro debut successful the 4th quarter. The erstwhile Chatsworth Sierra Canyon High standout played 8 minutes and scored 3 points, making a jumper and making 1 of 2 escaped throws.

CJ McCollum scored 20 points for the Blazers, who changeable 36% wide and had conscionable 15 assists.

More to travel connected this story.