The 5 toughest games the Portland Trail Blazers have left
By Ty Delbridge
5. At Los Angeles Clippers (March 18)
This will be an essential game for the Blazers and the entire Western Conference.
The L.A. Clippers are 33-28 and only half a game back from the eighth seed. Portland has faced the Clippers twice this season, and they have split the series 1-1. This will be the first of two games left between the teams.
The Clippers will be catching the Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back. On March 17, the Blazers play at home against the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons will be a tough matchup because they to will be fighting to get into the playoffs in the East and every game matters for them.
The Blazers will have to play some good basketball that night and they might be tired when they roll into L.A. The Clippers will be throwing everything they have at the Blazers and will try to capitalize on the tired legs of Portland.
Rip City beat the Clippers on Jan. 30 in L.A, 106-94. That was right after the Clippers traded Blake Griffin to the Pistons and they were without the three players they got back in the deal.
This game will be different for the Blazers because they will have to play against Tobias Harris. Harris has been having a career year and didn’t miss a step with the trade to the Clippers.
The Blazers are a better team in this matchup but will need to play smart basketball so they don’t slip up and lose one in L.A. Every game matters in this crazy Western Conference playoff race.