December 26, 2013
NOTES
• Portland has the best record in the NBA at 24-5, including a 5-1 mark against other 20-win teams.
• The Trail Blazers have now won nine of the past 10 overtime games, dating back to April 6, 2012.
• LaMarcus Aldridge is the only NBA player with 32-plus points and 10-plus rebounds without a turnover in a game this year, and he has done it twice (12/4 vs. Oklahoma City).
• Portland is the first NBA team to score 100 points or more in 16 straight games since Toronto’s 20-game streak from Jan. 6-Feb. 20, 2010.
• The Trail Blazers dished out 29 assists tonight, the most assists the Clippers have allowed all season.
• LaMarcus Aldridge recorded his ninth game of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds, second-most in the NBA this season (Kevin Love).
• The Trail Blazers are 19-0 when leading after three quarters and 14-0 when leading after half time.
• Damian Lillard has now made multiple 3-pointers in 24 games this season, the most of any player in the league.
• Joel Freeland totaled a career-high eight rebounds tonight and a season-high five defensive rebounds.
• Meyers Leonard recorded a season-high seven rebounds.
• Portland’s 60 rebounds ties for the most rebounds by an opponent against the Clippers this season. The Trail Blazers’ 45 defensive rebounds are the most defensive boards recorded against the Clippers this season.
• Mo Williams tied his season-high of three 3-pointers made in the first half of tonight’s game. Williams set a new season-high by ending the night with four total made 3-pointers.
• The Trail Blazers opened the fourth quarter on a 12-4 run.
• The Trail Blazers held Los Angeles to 14 first quarter points, the Clippers’ fewest point total in any quarter so far this season.
• LaMarcus Aldridge surpassed 19,000 career minutes played tonight.
• The Clippers committed five turnovers tonight, their fewest in a game this season.
On Key To Winning The Game:
“It was tough. It was an offensive night, both teams made plays. I thought down the stretch, we just made more plays than them. We got stops down the stretch and we just made their looks tough. Earlier in the game, they might have had easier looks, but late in the game, they had tough looks.”
On Secret To Winning So Many Close Games:
“I don’t know. I think guys are just growing. I think any given night, guys can step up. Nic makes a huge three to even give us a chance to win it. Wes makes big shots, Dame – we have so many guys that can make plays, it’s been great for us.”
On Other .800 Winning Percentage Teams Declaring Championship As The Goal, What Is Your Goal At This Point?:
“Just keep doing what we’re doing. We’re not trying to get too far in front of ourselves. We’re going to keep working every night, keep getting better. If the chips put us in a position to play for a championship, then we’ll do it, but we’re not going to go off and start making these crazy goals right now. We’re staying in the moment and going game to game.”
On Finding Shooting Touch After Cold Games:
“31 shots, I think anybody can find a groove. I definitely felt better. A little bit rusty to start having four days without eating or taking one shot, but I felt good going into the second half.”
On Team Not Feeling Out Of Games:
“Just not quitting. We feel like we have guys who can make plays and we feel like we have a team that no matter how much we’re down, if we play the right way, we can win. So I think guys just believing in the way we play and not giving up.”
On Allowing Paul To Get Shots Late In Game:
“He made some tough shots. Just like my fade-aways were tough. So I think at the end of the day, you want to give up those shots rather than him going to the basket and him throwing lobs to Blake and to Jordan.”
Terry Stotts
On Tonight's Game:
“Well, another good win for us. Obviously, against an elite team in the West. We just keep finding ways to win games, making clutch shots, getting stops. We make it interesting at times, but I thought it was a terrific game and I’m glad to get a win.”
On Play Of Mo Williams:
“Mo was terrific. Mo, his line was great, he brought energy, he made his shots, I think he had 8 assists. That second unit was very productive in both halves and he had a lot to do with it. I think he is the best backup point guard in the league and we’re lucky to have him.”
On Finding Ways To Win Games, Especially Late - What Is Demeanor?:
“The demeanor is we think we are going to win the game. We don’t think we’re out of it. Generally, that finishing group is very confident about what we can do at both ends of the court. Offensively, we have a lot of different guys who can make shots and make plays. Defensively, we rise to the occasion.”
On Defensive Effort Overall:
“On the whole, they are an explosive team and I thought Blake Griffin and Chris Paul played at a very high level. They made some tough shots. For the first 20 minutes of the game, our defense was very solid. Maybe it was because they were missing shots, but I thought the defense was very solid. Fourth quarter, it was going back and forth. I thought both teams were good defensively and both teams made good offensive plays.”
On Robin Lopez
“He was guarding Griffin for much of the night with LA getting in foul trouble early and then trying to keep LA out of foul trouble. I thought he did a nice job defensively. Both he and LA with our pick and rolls, they did a nice job of minimizing the lobs and things like that. Ro-Lo, he just competes and he talks. The play he had at the rim, being vertical and taking away a dunk – Meyers Leonard had the same play – those are two big time plays. We ring the bell on those. When you go up and everybody on SportsCenter wants to show that play and both he and Meyers go up and take away dunks, and not come away with a foul – those are big time plays.”
Jamal Crawford
On How He Feels Where The Clippers Are At This Season:
"It's tough, that's for sure. It'd be different if we lost both games by 15 or 20 points, but to lose two emotional games like that is tough. I think, honestly, those ones are more tough to digest than losing by 20. Sometimes you lay an egg and you come out and you just don't have it that night, but to have the opportunity to win both of them is tough."
On The Up And Down Nature Of Tonight's Game:
"I mean, they're a good team. They're a good team. You tip your hat to them. But we're a good team as well, and I think that's why you saw that seesaw battle back and forth. I mean, we controlled our own destiny at a certain point, we just didn't get it done."
On The Possible Silver Linings In Any Of These Losses:
"If it is, it's tough to find right now. Obviously, I know there is. The glass is half full or half empty, however you look at it. But for us right now, it's a hard loss to digest."
Doc Rivers
On The Battle Tonight:
"It was another great game, hard played. We gave them three at the end, that can't happen. Number one, we should have fouled and that's on me. We had too much indecision, that's why I called the twenty, because I could see the guys weren't all on the same page defensively. I always foul. The one time I don't, they score. That's why I always foul, so that one is on me."
On How To Get Over Two Emotional Losses:
"You just come to the next game. That's part of character building, it will make you better at the end. Two very winnable games for us, but we didn't win, and you just learn from it."
On The utility Of Aldridge Near The End Of The Game And His Matchup With Griffin:
"It was good but [Blake Griffin] is tough. I mean, he's bigger and taller than Blake, so he could turn and shoot real late on that second trap. The first time we tried we got him to force a turnover, the second time we didn't. But give him credit. If he's going to make those shots, he's really good. So, we didn't mind."