Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 3rd 2024

Preview and Prediction

The Clippers of Los Angeles will defend their eight-game winning streak at home as they take on the travel-weary Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in the final match of the NBA Cup group stage in Inglewood, California.

Neither team heads into the game with the threat of elimination from the knockout round of the tournament, but a loss would mean the end of their journey. The victor would still require assistance in various scenarios to advance as a wild-card team.

At the beginning of the season, the Clippers lost their first four home games at their newly built $2 billion arena. However, after finally breaking through on November 4th, they have not suffered a defeat since.

Their most recent triumph at home came on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets, with James Harden leading the way with 39 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds.

Harden became only the second player in NBA history to make 3,000 baskets from beyond the arc. He achieved this milestone by going 6 of 15 from long distance.

"We never take any of these accomplishments for granted," Harden stated. "The amount of hard work I put in, countless days and nights, is not seen by many. But the results speak for themselves. I am just grateful."

Over his last four games, Harden has been shooting at a 44.7% success rate, an improvement from his 38.5% mark for the season.

"Harden hasn't been shooting the ball as well as he usually does, but he's getting there," commented Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.

The Clippers' victory also marked the return of Norman Powell after a six-game absence due to a hamstring strain. The shooting guard scored 28 points, bringing his team-leading average to 23.6 per game.

Ivica Zubac is the top rebounder for the Clippers, averaging 12.4 rebounds per game. He grabbed eight rebounds against the Nuggets.

The Trail Blazers are coming off a 137-131 defeat at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Anfernee Simons scored 27 points for Portland, while Shaedon Sharpe added 22. Simons was 9 of 11 from the field and 6 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Portland's defense struggled to contain Dallas, allowing them to score at least 36 points in each of the last three quarters. The Blazers managed to shoot an impressive 58.1% from 3-point range (18 of 31), but their 21 turnovers were converted into 33 points by the Mavericks.

In the first half, Simons only scored three points, but he exploded in the third quarter with 24 points, shooting 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.

"We started off a bit sloppy with a few defensive coverages that we weren't fully focused on," Simons said, according to the Oregonian. "But we were still in the game at halftime, and we fought through everything, giving us a chance to win. That's all we can ask for."

Portland's struggles on the road have persisted for almost a month. They lost four out of five games on a road trip that ended the day before Thanksgiving and have only won one out of their last seven games away from home since November 7th.

Sharpe leads Portland with an average of 18.0 points per game, while Simons is close behind with 17.3 points per game. Deandre Ayton is the top rebounder for the Blazers, averaging 10.3 rebounds per game.

PREDICTION

Portland Trail Blazers

107

115

Los Angeles Clippers

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers Recap DEC 3TH 2024