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The Portland Trail Blazers have a chance to go 3-1 tonight with a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
A win would give the Blazers (2-1) three wins out of three of the top four seeds in the Western Conference NBA playoffs last season. Portland has already beaten defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were the No.1 seed, and Houston, who was the fourth seed behind No.3 Denver. The Clippers were the second seed.
It’s far too early in this season to draw too much, if that were to happen. But Portland getting off to a good start against some of the West’s top teams would certainly establish the Blazers as a threat, at least initially.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue announced ahead of the game that forward Kawhi Leonard will play against the Blazers.
He missed the team’s 124-101 victory Tuesday night over Minnesota with a mouth injury and was entered on a day-to-day basis.
Leonard tore his mouth against Denver on Christmas Day when he collided with Clippers center Serge Ibaka in the fourth quarter. The injury required eight stitches.
Portland coach Terry Stotts held his 15-minute pre-game press conference when Lue left and announced that Portland goaltender Gary Trent Jr., who strained his calf in Monday’s Lakers victory , will not play against the Lakers.
Check back later and throughout the game for updates.
TRAIL BLAZERS AT LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
What: Portland Trail Blazers (2-1) at the Los Angeles Clippers (3-1), 7 p.m. PT Wednesday.
Or: Staples Center, Los Angeles
TV channel: NBC Sports Northwest (in Portland: Comcast 37/737), NBA TV (728).
Radio: Radio Rip City (KPOJ 620 AM)
How to watch the live stream online: You can watch this game live with your cable provider’s connection, or you can watch the match live for FREE with FuboTV (free try). If you already have a cable plan, you can watch the game live on NBC Sports NW with your cable provider’s connection details. There are a variety of other streaming options you can try: www.nba.com/blazers/watch.
Chances: Blazers (+155) | Lawn mowers (-175) | Total: 226
ZACH COLLINS GET A SECOND ANKLE SURGERY
Portland forward Zach Collins has had a second ankle surgery and will be out indefinitely, the team announced Wednesday.
Revision surgery was performed to repair a stress fracture in the left medial malleolus, the team said.
Collins injured his ankle during the NBA bubble in the play-in game against Memphis on August 15 and underwent ankle surgery on September 1.
Collins was originally scheduled to return in late January, nearly four months after the date of the initial surgery. If that schedule turns out to be similar to the time he will be absent after this second surgery, Collins will not return until late April.
INJURY REPORT
Blazers: Portland goalie Gary Trent Jr. (right calf) will not play. F Zach Collins (left ankle stress fracture) and F Nassir Little (health and safety protocols) stepped out.
Clippers: Forward Marcus Morris Sr. (right knee pain) is ruled out.
ON THE HORIZON (Blazers schedule)
The final two games of the Portland four-game road trip are at the Golden State (2-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The Blazers then return home to host Chicago (1-3) Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
– Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress(Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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