Rowan Kavner 
Digital Content Coordinator
LOS ANGELES – Head coach Doc Rivers stuck by his all-backup unit in Game 1, and the reserves came through. One game later, they took another step in rewarding Rivers’ confidence.
The Clippers’ backups turned a five-point lead into a 15-point advantage early in the second quarter Wednesday, and when the game got close again, they turned a 67-61 lead at the end of the third quarter into a 15-point advantage that stayed at double digits the rest of the way.
“They saved the game for us,” Rivers said.
The Clippers’ 102-81 victory gives them a 2-0 lead heading back to Portland. Rivers said he knows some nights he might not be able to roll out a five-man bench unit in the playoffs.
After all, that’s when benches often shorten, and starters’ minutes increase.
“But our bench has been damn good all year,” Rivers said after Game 1. “Why go away from them now?”
Unless or until the backup unit shows otherwise, Rivers has little reason to.
The Clippers’ backups outscored the Trail Blazers’ backups, 43-10. Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford scored 11 points, followed by Jeff Green with 10, Austin Rivers with nine and Cole Aldrich with eight to go with eight rebounds.
It was much needed, as neither team’s starters developed much of a rhythm most of the night. From the jump, the game had a sloppy feel, with DeAndre Jordan getting whistled for a foul on the tip-off before either team claimed possession. Barely a minute had passed, and already four fouls, including one on a tip-off, and a defensive three-second violation had been called in a quirky start.
Botched assignments led to open looks for both teams, yet at times the rim looked like it had a lid on it on both ends. Portland suffered more in that regard, finishing the night 34.1 percent from the floor.
The Clippers held the lead most of the night and never trailed by more than two points, but as the teams continued going on runs back-and-forth, it was the type of night where any boost could propel one team past the other.
For the Clippers, that came from a bench unit Doc Rivers believes has forged its own identity, with spacing, rollers and ball-handlers surrounding Aldrich. When it’s not working offensively, their defensive intensity can keep things close even when shots are off. It’s a group Chris Paul said the starters feel confident watching when they’re on the sideline, even now in the postseason.
Plus, as Paul pointed out this week, that group of largely reserves nearly beat a full-strength Oklahoma City team late in the year and then actually did beat a full-strength Jazz team fighting for a playoff spot.
“Those guys have a confidence about them,” Paul said, “whether it’s Austin in there leading them, Pablo (Prigioni), then we got Jamal, who is probably the best bench guy to ever play.”
After the backups’ late surge, Paul and the Clippers were there to finish it off.
Key Moment: A 69-63 lead became a 78-63 lead after a 9-0 run, with Wesley Johnson, Austin Rivers, Crawford and Green all contributing. The Clippers held a double-digit lead from that point on. “I thought Austin Rivers’ 3-point shot with eight-something to go was a big momentum play,” said Portland head coach Terry Stotts. “A 10-point game, and he makes the shot with the shot clock going off. That kind of turned the tide in the fourth quarter.”
Clippers Star: Chris Paul – As good as the backups were, Paul still filled the stat sheet with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Jordan tracked down 18 rebounds and dished out five assists. As much as he’s doing offensively, he’s also the one guarding Damian Lillard at the other end. Through two games, Lillard’s shooting just 33.3 percent. Despite that, Paul still thinks he can do more. “I think that's where I'm frustrated, with how I defended tonight,” Paul said. “For me, going into the game Doc said he's going to need me on the defensive end more than anything, so that's what I'm trying to do.”
Trail Blazers Star: Mason Plumlee – The Clippers tried to make Portland’s bigs beat them, and Plumlee put together a nice all-around performance with 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
X-Factor: Clippers’ bench – It’s tough to limit it down to one guy. Every bench player on the Clippers who played more than 10 minutes finished plus-15 or better in the plus-minus. Portland’s bench, meanwhile, combined to go just 5-for-19 from the floor. “You can go down the line one by one, all of them made a ton of just great individual effort plays,” said J.J. Redick, who finished with 17 points.
Quotes of the Day:
Chris Paul – “One thing about our bench, what they've been doing in this series is that if we come out of the game up six, when we go back in the game, we may be up 10 or up 12. We just need those guys to keep playing with that confidence, and that's why we're a team.”
Blake Griffin – “The one thing, I don't think I've ever won a series that wasn't a Game 7, so that's kind of the next step is closing out a series.”
Doc Rivers on the bench – “I thought we were sloppy in a lot of ways, but I thought our bench saved us. They came in and opened the floor and just played and got ball movement, but then on the other end I thought they got a ton of stops and scores. So that was huge for us. There are going to be nights like that in the playoffs where starters may need a lift, and tonight was one of those nights.”
NOTES: The Clipper bench’s 33-point scoring advantage was their largest in the postseason since at least 1993-94 … At one point, Paul and Griffin were about to check in and realized how well the bench was rolling, telling Doc Rivers to let them keep going … Jordan finished with five assists, tied for his most in any game in his career, to go with 18 rebounds and three blocks … The next game in the series is Saturday, as the Clippers travel to Portland …
