The Los Angeles Clippers are hoping to finally get their first win of the season when they play the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
The Clippers have yet to win after two games, losing to the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies this past opening week. The team that went to the Western Conference Finals a year ago faces an uphill climb this season with their superstar Kawhi Leonard still missing in action. Leonard remains out of the lineup indefinitely after enduring an ACL injury to his right knee in the playoffs.
Paul George has put the Clippers on his back in the first two games, averaging 35.0 points and 10.5 rebounds. But the lack of firepower has been evident as the Clippers played catch up against the Warriors and the Grizzlies.
A positive sign for the Clips, however, is the aggressive play from Eric Bledsoe. The veteran point guard actually started the first three years of his career in Los Angeles. After bouncing to Phoenix, Milwaukee, and a brief stop in New Orleans last year, he's back in a Clippers uniform for his 12th season. He put up 22 points on 62.5 percent shooting in the opener and had an all-around game of 12 points, six rebounds, and seven assists as an encore. He has also totaled five steals and three blocks so far.
On the flip side, the Trail Blazers are coming off their first victory with a 134-105 decision against the Phoenix Suns. New head coach Chauncey Billups registered the first win of his career.
Billups dipped his toes into coaching last year as an assistant under Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue. The two spent a generous amount of time talking about basketball and the possibility of coaching during the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Lue took Billups under his wing and into Los Angeles’ coaching staff. The former Detroit Pistons point guard made an immediate impact for the Clippers as he helped unlock the playmaking abilities of Leonard and George.
Fast-forward to today, Lue is looking for his first win of the season against his former assistant.
You can catch the game between the Trail Blazers and Clippers tomorrow, 10:30 AM, on NBA TV Philippines via Smart GigaPlay or Cignal TV.
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