true ios true ios true android false computer $upper($url_encode($(QUERY_STRING{'bypassCountry'}))) NONE $url_encode($(GEO{'country_code'})) $url_encode($(GEO{'country_code'})) $(bpc) true true false Preview: Portland vs. LA Clippers | NBA.com
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Preview: Portland vs. LA Clippers

It's not lost on the Portland Trail Blazers that their magic number stands at two for the Northwest Division crown, and they may know by tipoff Wednesday night if they have a chance to clinch.

That simply would be an added bonus for Portland if it can help gain an advantage with a victory in a potential playoff preview.

The Blazers seek a fifth consecutive win as they host the Los Angeles Clippers, who are coming off just their second loss since Blake Griffin returned to the lineup.

Portland (48-25) last won the division when it shared the title with Denver in 2008-09. It locked up a playoff berth with Monday's 109-86 win over Phoenix and now has its sights set on securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"I'm not even sure the last time we even won a division title," said Damian Lillard, who scored a game-high 19 points. "If any year there was a great opportunity, it's this year. We just need to keep playing, focus on ourselves, and everything will work out like it's supposed to."

The Blazers lead four-time defending Northwest champion Oklahoma City by 6 1/2 games entering Wednesday. The Thunder tipoff against Dallas two hours before Portland begins against the Clippers.

An Oklahoma City loss and Blazers victory would give Portland the division title.

"I'm not a guy that makes games like this really big," forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. "I think we want to win every game and I think every win is important. If we go about it like regular business and fine-tune for the playoffs, I think everything will be fine."

The result of this contest could go a long way in determining home-court advantage in a potential first-round series with the Clippers (49-26), who still could host the first two games despite having a lower seed.

If Los Angeles finishes with a better record, it will have home-court advantage even if Portland has a guaranteed top-four seed by virtue of winning its division. However, in the event of a tie, the Blazers would get the edge if it winds up winning the Northwest, as expected.

The Clippers, who have played two more games, fell into a virtual tie with Portland after blowing a 17-point lead and falling to Golden State 110-106 on Tuesday. They went 9-6 when Griffin was sidelined with a staph infection from Feb. 8-March 13, then lost his first game back before winning seven straight.

Los Angeles fell to the Warriors despite 40 points and 12 rebounds from Griffin. The Clippers won the first two meetings with Griffin in the lineup, but Aldridge had 29 points to help overcome a season-high 36 and 12 assists from Chris Paul in Portland's 98-93 overtime win March 4 with Griffin out.

"Getting Blake back certainly helps them," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "We talk about our injuries, they've done a really good job of keeping things going in the right direction when they lose one of their All-Stars."

The Clippers look to bounce back by tying a season high with a fifth straight road win as coach Doc Rivers continues to look ahead.

"I don't put a lot into regular-season games," Rivers said. "That's why I like the playoffs. (Every team) has the same amount of rest, the same amount of preparation, and everything's equal."