Paul George scored game-high 31 points, leading the Los Angeles Clippers (44-25) to a 125-117 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers (19-51) on Friday night.
Joining George in the scoring column, Kawhi Leonard added 22 points, while Terance Mann contributed 20, and James Harden recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists.
With the win, the Clippers maintain their position in the Western Conference playoff race, holding a 1.5-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans for the fourth seed.
Despite a strong effort from Portland, led by Scoot Henderson’s 24 points and 10 assists, the Trail Blazers suffered their fifth straight loss, hindered by injuries to Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons.
Kris Murray provided a solid scoring punch for Portland with 21 points and seven rebounds, supported by Dalano Banton and Jabari Walker, who contributed 17 and 14 points off the bench, respectively.
