Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers Prediction & Match Preview - December 30th, 2020 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Portland Trail Blazers are heading to the Staples Center to battle against the LA Clippers on Wednesday. The Clippers will be looking for their fourth win in the first five games of the season, and will have their work cut out for them vs. a tough 2-1 Trail Blazers team.
Match Details
Fixture: Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers | NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Wednesday, December 30th, 2020, 10 PM ET
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Click here to check out the complete 2020-21 NBA Schedule.
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LA Clippers Preview
The LA Clippers snapped out of whatever hypnotism they were placed under against the Dallas Mavericks in their 51-point loss, and had very strong offensive performances against the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves in their last two games. The Clippers downed Denver 121-108 and blew out Minnesota 124-101, showing the rest of the league that their bad night against the Mavericks was a rarity. This Clippers team is very talented, and should be treated as a true contender.
Key Player - Paul George
Paul George has been very dangerous thus far on the offensive end for the LA Clippers. Paul George averaged a team-leading 23.7 points per game through the first three games of the season.
George has looked as good as ever in his 12th NBA season, and seems to have control over the court every time he gets the ball. The Clippers will need a huge night from Paul George offensively in order to combat the shooters on the Portland Trail Blazers.
LA Clippers Predicted Lineup
G Patrick Beverly, G Paul George, F Kawhi Leonard, F Nicolas Batum, C Serge Ibaka
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Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have had a rough start to the 2020-21 season. They were blown out by the Utah Jazz 120-100 in the opener and were stretched to overtime by a seriously shorthanded Houston Rockets side. Damian Lillard has yet to find his rhythm, but luckily CJ McCollum is on a tear and averaging 29 points per game.
Key Player- Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard has not been the most productive player on the Portland Trail Blazers' roster this season. That title belongs to CJ McCollum, who is averaging an incredible 29.0 points per game. This does not mean, however, that Lillard will not play a huge role on Wednesday against the LA Clippers.
Damian Lillard must regain his focus against these excellent Clippers defenders in order to compete on Wednesday. If Lillard is able to be productive all game, the Blazers should find themselves in a good position to beat the Clippers.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G Damian Lillard, G CJ McCollum, F Robert Covington, F Derrick Jones Jr., C Jusuf Nurkic
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Blazers vs. Clippers Prediction
While the Portland Trail Blazers are off to a hot start, and have momentum heading into Wednesday's matchup, the LA Clippers are a more well-rounded basketball team as a whole. Expect the Clippers to have a great night on the offensive end and to take care of business against the Blazers.
Where to watch Blazers vs. Clippers?
The national broadcast of this game will be available on NBA TV. A live stream of this matchup is available via the NBA League Pass.