Blazing A Trail

The Los Angeles Clippers have won only one game so far in this embryonic season. It was a comprehensive effort against the Portland Trail Blazers; and some might have been surprised at how one-sided it was. In fact; rookie head coach Chauncey Billups even described it as an embarrassment for his team; and in many ways; it was.

So it was with some expectation that the Clippers traveled to the Moda Center in Portland. Oregon to face a repeat of this match-up mere days later. And lo and behold; it turned out to be exactly that; as the Trail Blazers played a determined effort to gain revenge on their Western Conference counterparts.

Damian Lillard has been having an uncharacteristically shoddy start to the season; and he had a terrible game in the earlier one. But he came up big in this one; not shying away from his shots and hitting his trademark long jumpers to lead his team to a decisive 111-92 victory. He was aided & abetted by his side-kick partner CJ McCollum; along with reliable small forward Norman Powell and center Jusuf Nurkic; who came up with a big 14 points.

The Trail Blazers survived an incredible shooting night from Paul George; who continued his spellbinding run of form with a 42-point & 8-rebound performance; with a few Larry Bird-esque shot manoeuvres along the way.