----- Paul George scored eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 102-90 Monday night at Moda Center.
Jusuf Nurkic and Norman Powell did all they could to carry the Trail Blazers to victory on Monday night, but it wasn't enough against Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Paul George finished with 21 points and eight rebounds and Reggie Jackson had a solid all-around game with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists as the Clippers topped the Blazers 102-90 at Moda Center.
Portland (11-14) was playing without Damian Lillard (abdomen), Nassir Little (ankle), Anfernee Simons (ankle), and CJ McCollum (ribs). Dennis Smith Jr. and Tony Snell were moved into the starting lineup again with the injuries. Snell scored four points and Smith Jr. made the most of his time finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, and seven assists.
Nurkic scored a game-high 31 points and Powell added 29 points and five rebounds.
The Blazers pulled to within two at 90-88 late in the fourth quarter on a Nurkic bucket, but the Clippers responded with a 12-2 run to close the game.
Portland scored just 16 points in the final period on 21.1% shooting.
Up Next- The Trail Blazers travel to San Francisco to meet the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night at Chase Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM.
Chad's Take- Well, at least the Trail Blazers played hard.