By ERIK GARCÍA GUNDERSEN The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. — As back-to-back sets go, this one didn’t present much of a challenge on paper, but the Clippers left no doubt anyway.
Norman Powell scored 23 points, James Harden had 19 points and six assists and the Clippers routed the Portland Trail Blazers, 118-89, on Thursday night to complete an impressive two-night showing. They crushed a depleted Brooklyn squad by a franchise-record 59 points the previous night in Inglewood.
The Clippers were never threatened in this one either. They shot 56.4% from the field (10 for 23 from 3-point range), won the rebounding battle 50-37 and held the Blazers to 37.4% shooting.
Kawhi Leonard, just a few games into his delayed start to the season, was given the night off as part of the ongoing management of his surgically repaired right knee.
Dalano Banton had 23 points in 25 minutes off the bench for the Blazers, while Scoot Henderson contributed 16 points and six assists. Portland’s Anfernee Simons shot 0 for 9 from the field and failed to score.
The Clippers’ only real concern came midway through the fourth quarter when Kevin Porter Jr. walked gingerly off the court after hurting his lower back in a collision with Banton.
Harden, who was able to sit out the entire fourth quarter off for the second night in a row, scored 12 first-quarter points as the Clippers knocked down 12 of 18 shots in the period for a 32-22 lead. They extended the margin to 47-26 as part of a 24-6 run.
Clippers center Ivica Zubac (10 points, eight rebounds) even blocked two shots on the same possession at one point. The first came on a dunk attempt by Henderson and the second came only seconds later when Blazers center Deandre Ayton picked up the loose ball and tried a dunk of his own.
Henderson, coming off a career-high 39 points against the Nets on Tuesday, momentarily ended the struggle for the Blazers, who sharpened up defensively to get within 52-38 by halftime.
The Clippers roared out of the blocks to begin the third quarter, using a 13-2 surge to open a 65-40 lead.
Banton and Kris Murray sparked a 13-2 Portland run over the last 2:37 of the quarter to reduce the Clippers’ cushion to 86-66 going into the fourth.
Powell was active early in the fourth as the Clippers dominated again, blowing the margin out to a game-high 34 points on a Kobe Brown dunk before it was over.
Powell formed a special relationship with Blazers coach Chauncey Billups during Billups’ first season as Portland’s coach, and Billups is impressed with Powell, who is averaging a career-high 23.7 points.
“(I’m) really proud,” Billups said. “I didn’t get to coach him for that long, but we got very, very close in that short time. And he always shared with me that this is the player he could be.”
UP NEXT
The Clippers host the Lakers on Sunday at 6 p.m.