Blake Griffin says ‘awful film session’ revealed plenty about Saturday’s Game 3 loss at Portland

Clippers Trail Blazers Basketball

Blake Griffin guards Mason Plumlee of the Trail Blazers during the first half of Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Portland won 96-88 and Plumlee grabbed 21 rebounds/AP photo by Craig Mitchelldyer

 

The Clippers were licking their wounds Sunday after falling apart down the stretch and losing 96-88 to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series Saturday at Moda Center in Portland. The Clippers lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 on Monday night back at Moda Center.

The Clippers led 85-81 with 3:52 to play and scored only three more points while giving up 15.

The Clippers held a lengthy film session at their hotel Sunday. Blake Griffin appeared rather bummed out after emerging from it.

“It was a pretty awful film session,” he said. “It wasn’t even the last two minutes, it was throughout the entire game. You know, really from the beginning, we let them get comfortable. We let them, like I said last night, do what they wanted to do and they executed, to their credit. They did what they wanted to do and we just … I thought we were careless and didn’t execute, didn’t move the ball from side to side. We didn’t do the things that made us successful in those first couple of games.”

The Clippers won Games 1 and 2 by respective scores of 115-95 and 102-81 at Staples Center.

Doc Rivers says Trail Blazers played harder, deserved to win

Clippers guard Chris Paul, right, drives to the basket past Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless on Saturday night.
(AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Chris Paul, right, is defended by Portland’s Maurice Harkless during Saturday’s game at Moda Center in Portland/AP photo by Craig Mitchelldyer

 

Clippers coach Doc Rivers didn’t want to hear that his team might have lacked focus in its 96-88 loss to Portland on Saturday in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series with the Trail Blazers at Moda Center. He would rather compliment Portland, which is what he did post-game.

“Yeah, it wasn’t the focus,” Rivers said. “It’s so easy when you lose, it’s focus; that’s the easy way. They played hard. They were tougher, they destroyed us on the glass, they ran harder, they got to their spots quicker, they got to the loose balls faster. They played hard, so they deserved to win the game. I really thought they deserved to win the game.”

The Trail Blazers outrebounded the Clippers 56-44. Sixteen of Portland’s rebounds were of the offensive variety, resulting in 18 second-chance points. The Clippers scored 14 points off of their 11 offensive rebounds.

The Clippers lead the series 2-1. It continues with Game 4 Monday night at Moda Center.

Five things to take from Clippers’ 96-88 loss to the Trail Blazers

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, right, is fouled by Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, April 23, 2016, in Portland, Ore.

Chris Paul of the Clippers is fouled by Portland’s Damian Lillard during the first half of the Trail Blazers’ 96-88 victory over the Clippers on Saturday in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series at Moda Center in Portland/AP photo by Craig Mitchelldyer

 

– One of the biggest reasons why the Trail Blazers won was because their outstanding guard tandem of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum played to their capabilities after struggling in losses to the Clippers in Game 1 and Game 2. Lillard scored 32 points on 10 of 20 shooting and went 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. McCollum scored 27 points on 11 of 22 shooting. Each had five rebounds.

– It was more than that. For another thing, the Trail Blazers outrebounded the Clippers 56-44. Leading the way was center Mason Plumlee. He had a whopping 21 rebounds to go along with nine assists and six points. The Clippers got 16 rebounds from their center, DeAndre Jordan. Blake Griffin had only seven.

– The Clippers led 85-81 with 3:52 to play after a 3-point play by sixth-man Jamal Crawford. They scored only three points the rest of the way. During that time, the poor free-throw shooting Jordan went 1 of 6 from the free-throw line, finishing 3 of 10 from there. “Our execution was bad tonight,” coach Doc Rivers said of his team’s play down the stretch.

– This was not a good game for Griffin. The Clippers’ power forward scored 12 points and shot just 5 of 16. At times, his shot was short, hitting the front of the rim. “He just had a tough night,” Rivers said. “Again, you don’t miss three months of basketball and come back and be great.”

– As a team, the Clippers shot 40.9 percent – 16.7 percent (3 of 18) from 3-point range. Rivers gave credit to the Portland defense. “I thought they did a great job,” he said. “I think they were way more physical than us. I thought ball pressure got to us.” Shooting guard J.J. Redick, who is nursing a sore left heel, shot 2 of 10.

BONUS TAKE: The loss notwithstanding, Clippers point guard Chris Paul continued his fine play. He led the Clippers with 26 points on 10 of 21 shooting, doled out nine assists and made three steals.

LASTLY: The Clippers lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Monday night, back at Moda Center in Portland.

Jamal Crawford praises Damian Lillard after Blazers beat Clippers

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard/Photo courtesy of Portland Trail Blazers

 

After rather poor showings in Games 1 and 2 against the Clippers, Portland guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum really came through for the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday in their 96-88 Game 3 victory over the Clippers.

Lillard scored 32 points on 10 of 20 shooting, McCollum had 27 points on 11 of 22 from the field. Lillard did have five turnovers. But he got off to a hot start, scoring 12 of his points in the first quarter.

Clippers sixth-man Jamal Crawford had high praise for Lillard.

“His leadership for them really set the tone, I thought,” Crawford said. “He was taking charges, he was all over the place, flying all over the court. But him being very aggressive early definitely set the tone for them and the rest of the team followed.”

Portland guards lead Trail Blazers to 49-40 halftime lead over Clippers

Chris Paul

Chris Paul/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

Portland guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who struggled mightily against the Clippers in the first two games of their first-round playoff series, scored a respective 16 and 17 points in the first half Saturday as the Trail Blazers took a lead of 49-40 over the Clippers into halftime in Game 3 at Moda Center in Portland. The Clippers lead the series 2-0.

Lillard shot 5 of 10, McCollum 7 of 12.

Chris Paul led the Clippers with 13 points, Blake Griffin scored eight and DeAndre Jordan had six points and nine rebounds. Sixth-man Jamal Crawford shot 2 of 8 in the half, scoring four points.

 

Doc Rivers knows few are expecting Clippers in conference finals

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Doc Rivers/AP photo by Danny Moloshok

 

By and large, the Clippers are not expected to be in the Western Conference finals. What most are saying is that it will be Golden State and San Antonio. Coach Doc Rivers knows that, but he doesn’t mind one bit. He doesn’t believe his players are concerned with that, either.

“I haven’t heard a lot of guys talking about that,” he said at Saturday’s morning shootaround ahead of Game 3 of the first-round series between the Clippers and Portland at Moda Center; the Clippers lead 2-0. “We just believe we’re a good team. And we just have to prove it by our wins and our play. But Golden State deserves everything they’re getting. They won 73 games. If you don’t talk about them, you’;re being silly.

“They get it all, and, to me, the two teams that everyone should be talking about are the two teams we’re talking about – them and San Antonio. I mean, I hear it every day – that Western Conference finals series is set up already. But I think there is nothing wrong with people making that assumption. We just don’t agree with it. And there is nothing wrong with that either.”