George’s 33 rally Clippers to one-point win at Portland
The Clippers — severely short-handed, supremely hot-handed — arrived in Portland on a roll.
They entered the fray Tuesday shooting a leaguehigh 42.1% from 3-point range, and having won 14 of their past 17 games despite playing starters Serge Ibaka, Patrick Beverley, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for all or some of those.
On Tuesday against the Trail Blazers, L.A. was without Ibaka (back “tightness”) and Beverley (fractured hand), as has been the case for most games since midMarch. This time, Leonard also was out, due to miss at least three games because of a sore right foot, the team announced shortly before tip-off.
Evening the scales some, Portland was without its star guard Damian Lillard (right hamstring tendinopathy) and starting center Jusuf Nurkic (injury management).
Fortunately for the Clippers, Paul George was available — and once again, he was exquisite for much of Tuesday’s 113-112 victory at the Moda Center in Portland.
The Palmdale native finished with 33 points on 13of-22 shooting for his sixth 30-plus-point game in seven outings. On Tuesday, 10 of those points came in the fourth quarter.
George also added 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
“PG was special tonight,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.
In a game that featured 19 lead changes and 13 ties, the Clippers (41-19) shot an uncharacteristic 28.9% (11 for 38) from long range, but walked away winners also in large part because of DeMarcus Cousins’ 11 points in 13 minutes. Marcus Morris
CLIPPERS 113, TRAIL BLAZERS 112 Up next:
Sr. added 16 points, Nicolas Batum had 11 and Ivica Zubac had 10.
Entering the backstretch, the Trail Blazers retook the lead at one point — 91-90 — after the Clippers missed three consecutive good looks: Kennard’s 3-pointer was off the mark, Cousins’ putback attempt was blocked and finally Batum’s 3-pointer ricocheted into the hands of Portland forward Nassir Little, who gave it to Anthony for a quick 3-pointer.
Anthony proceeded to knock down another jumper the next time down to increase the Blazers’ lead to 93-90.
The Clippers answered with their throwback star: Cousins scored four consecutive points, including a deft one-touch layup off a lob from Kennard that tied it 96-96.
Portland scored the next six points, until Reggie Jackson stopped the bleeding with his third 3-pointer. After CJ McCollum returned the favor by sticking a 3-pointer over Jackson, George rattled in a 17 foot stepback to close it to 105-101.
Then, when Anthony sank a turnaround jumper over Mann that made it 109-103 with 2:03 to play, George found Ivica Zubac beneath the basket, and the big man’s layup cut it to 109-107.
McCollum drained another 3-pointer and George attacked for back-to-back buckets, trimming the lead to 112-111 33.6.
Powell missed a 3-pointer and George went back on the attack, drawing a foul on McCollum and earning a pair of free throws.
George made both and the Clippers led again, and for the final time, 113-112, with 4.8 seconds to play, and McCollum missed a 14-foot pullup at the buzzer.
BOX SCORE