Game #4: Clippers(1-2) vs Blazers(3-0)

[thanumba2clippersfan]

This one was too close to comfort down the stretch but we pulled off the win thanks to Chris Paul. Clippers beat Blazers 93-88.

[Sofia]

CP3! CP3! CP3!

[PDXKnight]

Good game guys. It was anybody's team to take, but the Blazers didn't really show up tonight to be honest. I'm not really sure we faced the best possible Clippers team either though so it probably evens out. Catch ya guys when we're a bit more prepared .

[mike3]

he seriously does wait till we NEED him in the clutch haha

[TheNewEra]

CP3!

[LOJ]

Blew a huge lead, but CP3 didn't let this one get away from us, a win is a win. Specially against this Portland team that was on such a run.

[scratch21]

this team needs to put it all together !! ill take it

[playaloc916]

Ugly win, but a win none the less. It would've been pretty demoralizing if we lost this one.

[mkwest]

Ugly win, but a win none the less. It would've been pretty demoralizing if we lost this one.

It don't have to be pretty for me .

It would have totally sucked to lose. We have not played well in certain aspects this season, but we have had tough opponents as well. A win against the Blazers is a good win regardless of how it looked. They'll be ready for us at the Rose Garden next week, so hopefully we can win the next 2. We have a lot of rest in between games this upcoming week, so I hope our guys can use that time to get healthy and improve.

[Det the Threat]

Nice win against a quality Blazers team.

CP3 took over when it mattered and Caron outplayed Wallace, who had an absolute craptastic game tonight.

BTW: I'm 1-0 now.

[illastrate]

Good game guys. It was anybody's team to take, but the Blazers didn't really show up tonight to be honest. I'm not really sure we faced the best possible Clippers team either though so it probably evens out. Catch ya guys when we're a bit more prepared .

Blazers definitely didn't face the best Clippers team. Only have been together for 2 weeks. Billups out. I expect our next matchup to be much more aesthetically pleasing, with both sides having better chemistry.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Good win last night Clips! I only saw the first and fourth quarters so I missed bunch in the middle (although it doesn't sound like I missed much). I thought Batum got the raw end early on getting bumped and pushed and no whistles. I'm sure it even out in the middle though (it usually does). We didn't have any good reviews in Portland, but it sure looked like Paul was out of bounds when he was on his hands and knees calling timeout down the stretch. Blazers played some tough defense down the stretch, as well, but Paul's 3 point bank shot really took the air out of the sail. Griffin drew a foul or two with a couple seconds left on the shot clock, as well. If Portland shows up for the first three quarters, it's an easy win for the Blazers. Both teams probably need a little time to gel with knew players for both teams. Looking for to the next time these two teams meet. The Clippers just might have a very exciting team to watch and I can finally find myself rooting for a basketball team in Los Angeles! Good luck guys : )~

[mj_shoefanatic]

Nice win against a quality Blazers team.

CP3 took over when it mattered and Caron outplayed Wallace, who had an absolute craptastic game tonight.

BTW: I'm 1-0 now.

Caron need to play that way vs every SF in the league from here on out

CP3 is crazy clutch. Solid win vs a quality team.

[mkwest]

DeAndre's Defense

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0yx9UEe62U[/youtube]

In the video above, watch how DeAndre fights hard through the screen so he can meet Aldridge at the spot and push him further away from the basket. Also notice how Jordan maintains body contact all the way throughout — a critical step in not allowing Aldridge the space to face up immediately on the catch like he did against Griffin in the previous video.

Once Aldridge gets the ball, notice how active Jordan is with his hands. By tracing the ball and keeping his arm up in the passing lane, Jordan eliminates the kickout to Gerald Wallace on the wing.

This forces Aldridge to make a move, and Jordan wisely overplays Aldridge’s right hand, forcing him to spin left. Once this happens, Jordan sits all over the fadeaway (Aldridge’s favorite move to that shoulder) and forces an airball.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jti8d2gJuO0[/youtube]

Watch how Jordan plays to each move on one possession. He sits all the way on Aldridge’s left shoulder, eliminating the jump hook. Once Aldridge spins baseline, Jordan recovers and cuts off a potential drop step. Now out of steps, Aldridge spins back to his right and travels. The blocked shots are what get noted in the statbook, but forcing turnovers like this one are what makes post defenders like Chuck Hayes and Kendrick Perkins so valuable.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDwbxS0ROhg[/youtube]

Here’s where Jordan’s strength comes into play. After getting the initial post opportunity in the paint, Jordan pushes Aldridge back out a few more feet on the re-post and gains the territory advantage, forcing Aldridge to face-up since he’s too far from the bucket. Jordan doesn’t bite on the initial pump-fake (something he would have done in year’s past) and instead uses his quick hands and leaping ability to force Aldridge into a fadeaway, high arcing shot that misses.

After some initial success to start the game, Jordan only allowed one true post-up score to Aldridge the rest of the way, forcing him into an inefficient 9-for-21 night from the field with two free throw attempts and a points per possession mark of .79 – way below his season average last year of 1.01 PPP.

DJ Foster and Nick Flynt, ClipperBlog