Rowan Kavner 
Digital Content Coordinator
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Clippers entered Monday with a series lead and only J.J. Redick’s sore heel to worry about on the injury front. They left Monday night with the series tied, and, far more importantly, without Chris Paul.
Paul, who started the night 6-for-6 to keep the Clippers in striking distance early while the rest of the team began 0-for-12, left the game in the third quarter with a fractured third metacarpal in his right hand and didn’t return in a 98-84 loss, which tied the series, 2-2.
And when it rains, it can pour.
The Clippers also watched Blake Griffin head briefly to the locker room shortly after Paul with a sore left quad, the same one that kept him out the majority of the regular season. Griffin returned to the bench and later to the game but sat again for the final minutes of the loss and enters Game 5 with his status uncertain.
It was a struggle from the start offensively for the Clippers in a strange game long before the injuries. Jeff Green and Chris Paul scored 22 of the Clippers’ first 26 points of the game, with the majority of the team unable to get anything to go through.
Yet the Clippers still trailed by only four points after both the first and second quarters, doing so by forcing Portland into 35.7 percent shooting and 12 turnovers by halftime.
Both Paul and Griffin left the game in the third quarter, yet Green’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer had the Clippers down just two points entering the fourth.
But with the outcome still undecided until late, playing without their stars down the stretch didn’t help the Clippers' comeback cause, as a 72-68 game quickly became an 84-72 deficit.
That gave Portland a double-digit lead for the first time all night, and the Clippers watched the deficit balloon to as many as 14 in the final minutes of the loss, which left the Clippers with more to think about than an unfavorable final score Monday night as they try to pick themselves up back home in Los Angeles for Game 5.
Key Moment: The injuries to Paul and Griffin happened right around the same time, and undoubtedly affected not only the game but the complexion of the playoffs.
Clippers Star: Chris Paul – Despite missing the majority of the second half, his play offensively put the Clippers in a position to still win the game late. Paul finished with 16 points, four assists and three steals before getting hurt.
Trail Blazers Star: Al-Farouq Aminu – The Blazers forward continued to get good looks, and this time they went down, as Aminu went 11-for-20 and 6-for-10 from long distance while scoring 30 points and recording 10 rebounds.
X-Factor: C.J. McCollum – The Blazers guard scored 19 points and was a game-best plus-20. It was still a four-point game in the fourth quarter when McCollum hit one of his two 3-pointers to stretch the Blazers’ lead to seven, giving Portland breathing room.
What’s Next? Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles
Quotes of the Day:
Doc Rivers – “This is a resilient group. I think we’ll be that in Game 5.”
Jamal Crawford - “Obviously, people are going to write us off. What are you going to do, you going to fight or run? For us, we’re going back home, and we’re ready to take care of business.”
Austin Rivers – “Chris, he’s our leader, he’s our guy…but you’ve got to find a way to win. We still believe we’re going to win this series. I honestly believe that from the bottom of my heart.”
NOTES: Doc Rivers said after the game both Paul and Griffin will be evaluated tomorrow but that it doesn’t look good for either player … Rivers later said his guess is that Griffin will be 50-50 for Game 5 …
The Clippers shot 35.7 percent in the loss … Paul still finished with the most field goals made on the Clippers with seven … DeAndre Jordan recorded 15 rebounds and four blocks in the loss … Green led all bench players with 17 points …
