If Griffin, who is suffering from a hamstring strain, does sit out, he will join guards Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups on Los Angeles’ bench.

Griffin ended a streak of 197 games played when he sat out Monday’s loss to the Washington Wizards with the left hamstring injury and did not go through shootaround Wednesday morning. He will be re-evaluated Thursday before the Clippers play the Miami Heat on Friday.

This will be the ninth straight game and 12th overall Paul has missed this season with a bruised right kneecap.

The five-time All-Star injured his knee with 54 seconds left in the Clippers’ 104-101 loss to the Magic on Jan. 12 when he collided with Orlando guard J.J. Redick.

Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe has started the 11 games Paul has missed, with the team going 5-6 during that time.

Billups has been out with peroneal tendinitis in his left foot and has played only three games this season. Although Billups didn’t go through shootaround on Wednesday, he believes Thursday’s practice will let him know whether he can come back before the end of the Clippers’ road trip.

“I’m looking forward to practicing tomorrow and going up and down,” Billups said Wednesday. “Tomorrow I’ll be able to compete and see how I feel.”

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L.A. Clippers At Portland
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 26, 2013
Where: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), KGW (Portland)
Prediction: Trail Blazers 96, Clippers 91.

Oddsmakers currently have the Clippers listed as 2-point favorites versus the Trail Blazers, while the game’s total is sitting at 192.

Reserve guard Jamal Crawford scored 25 points when Los Angeles defeated Portland 103-90 on Nov. 8 in the first meeting between the teams. Crawford scored 21 points in the loss to Phoenix for his fourth 20-point outing in six games. Crawford is averaging 16.7 points in a good bounce-back campaign after one lackluster season in Portland. Crawford averaged 14 points for the Trail Blazers but shot just 38.4 percent from the field. Eric Bledsoe has just seven total assists while filling in for Paul over the past two games. Bledsoe averages 8.9 points and 2.7 assists.

Last time out for Los Angeles, they were a 93-88 loser as they battled the Suns on the road. The Clippers failed to cover in the match as a 6.5-point favorite, while 181 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 32-12 SU, 25-19 ATS
Current streak: lost 3 straight games.
LA Clippers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Portland
LA Clippers are 19-6 SU in their last 25 games
LA Clippers are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of the LA Clippers last 12 games when playing on the road against Portland
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Portland are 6-4
After playing Phoenix are 9-1
After a loss are 4-6

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge is headed to the All-Star Game for the second straight season after being picked as a Western Conference reserve. “It means a lot to me,” Aldridge said. “Hopefully I can be a three- and four-time All-Star also.” Aldridge and Miami’s LeBron James are the only players averaging more than 20 points and eight rebounds. Aldridge’s marks are 20.7 and 8.8, respectively. “I’m very happy for LaMarcus, he is the foundation of what we are building here,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “He is very deserving of this honor and I’m glad he was recognized by my fellow coaches.” Aldridge has nine double-doubles in January and had 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting in Wednesday’s victory.

Last time out for Portland, they were a 100-80 winner as they battled the Pacers at home. The Trail Blazers covered in the match as a 1-point favorite, while 180 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 21-21 SU, 19-21-2 ATS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games at home
is 19-6 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
is 13-6 SU in their last 19 games when playing LA Clippers
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing LA Clippers are 8-2
After playing Indiana are 1-9
After a win are 6-4

The post Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Serge Ibaka added 17 points before fouling out late while helping the Thunder improve to a league-leading 33-9 and expand their lead in the Western Conference standings to 1½ games over the Clippers, who were without All-Star Chris Paul and fell to 32-11.

Blake Griffin had 31 points and 11 rebounds, and Jamal Crawford added 14 points off the bench. Eric Bledsoe scored 12 points starting in place of Paul, who missed his fourth game because of a bruised right kneecap. He missed three road wins last week, then played the next two games but it was obvious Paul wasn’t himself so he was held out Tuesday.

The Clippers had won four straight at home against the Thunder, and they led much of the first quarter before giving up the lead for good early in the second.

Los Angeles made a run to start the fourth, with Grant Hill and Crawford combining to score seven in a row and close to 82-75. That was as close as the Clippers came in losing their second straight.

Durant keyed a 3-point barrage over the next nearly 4 minutes, making three of them himself while Westbrook added one and Ibaka had another to extend the Thunder’s lead to 99-82 — their largest of the game. Durant scored on a driving dunk to make it 101-85, then punctuated it by punching his right arm in the air.

The Clippers cut their deficit to 105-97. After Westbrook missed, Griffin raced down court and proceeded to throw the ball into the seats. He bent over with his head in his hands.

Having beaten the Clippers in overtime in November, the Thunder won the season series, with one game remaining on Jan. 22.

Oklahoma City pulled away to a 77-61 lead in the third on a 3-pointer by Thabo Sefolosha and a fast break dunk by Westbrook. The Clippers cut it to nine on seven straight points, including four by Crawford, before the Thunder scored the last five points to lead 82-68 going into the fourth.

The Thunder controlled the second, taking their first lead of the game on Kevin Martin’s 3-pointer 45 seconds in. That launched a 13-2 run that gave the Thunder a nine-point lead, their largest to that point. Griffin scored the Clippers’ final six points to help them close to 49-45 at halftime.

The Clippers led by eight before the Thunder closed the first quarter on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 22-all.

Game notes

It was Paul’s bobblehead night. … Clippers F Caron Butler swatted away a shot in the second quarter and the ball hit referee Derek Richardson in the head, knocking him backward to the court. He wasn’t hurt. … The Thunder improved to 2-1 on their season-high six-game trip. … The Clippers agreed to a 10-year extension of their lease at Staples Center, where they are one of the arena’s original tenants. The extension takes effect at the end of this season, and will keep them in the arena through June 2024.

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