The Portland Trail Blazers will face a highly-motivated LA Clippers team Saturday in Los Angeles.
The Clippers (42-38) enter the weekend trailing Golden State (43-38) by 1/2 game for fifth-place in the Western Conference. The sixth-place Clippers have a half game lead over both the Los Angeles Lakers (42-39) and New Orleans Pelicans (42-39), who are tied for seventh.
The last thing the Clippers would want to do is fall into the play-in round.
They will be without Paul George (right knee sprain) and Marcus Morris Sr. (low back spasms). But the Blazers will be without about 10 players.
Shaedon Sharpe, however, could return for the Blazers after missing the team’s loss Thursday at San Antonio with a left knee tendinopathy.
The Blazers seek to hold on to the fifth-worst record in the NBA. Indiana (34-47) lost 122-115 to Detroit (17-64) on Friday to move to within a half game of the Blazers. Meanwhile, Washington (35-46) defeated Miami (43-38). The Wizards now lead the Blazers with 1 1/2 games.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS AT LA CLIPPERS
What: Trail Blazers (33-47) at Clippers (42-38), 1 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles.
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).
TV channel: Root Sports Plus (in Portland: Comcast 1253, DirecTV 687-1).
Watch the game live online: You can watch this game live for FREE with fuboTV (free trial). You can also get this game on DirecTV Stream’s “CHOICE” package (promotional offers), if you are out of fuboTV trials, or simply prefer that platform and their pricing plans. If you already have a cable or satellite provider that carries Root Sports and want to watch online, you can watch this game live on Root Sports Live.
ODDS (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)
Moneyline: POR +1000 | LAC -1800
Spread: POR +16.5 | Over/Under: NA.
INJURIES
Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe (left knee tendinopathy), Kevin Knox II (left knee soreness) and Trendon Watford (right ankle sprain) are probable. Drew Eubanks (left thoracic spasms) and Cam Reddish (lumbar soreness) are questionable. Matisse Thybulle (right knee effusion), Nassir Little (right ankle sprain), Keon Johnson (right finger fracture), Damian Lillard (right calf tightness), Jusuf Nurkic (right knee soreness), Anfernee Simons (right foot soreness), Jerami Grant (left quad contusion), Justise Winslow (left ankle sprain) and Ibou Badji (left knee soreness)are out.
Clippers: Paul George (right knee sprain) and Marcus Morris Sr. (low back spasms) are out.
NEXT UP
The Blazers end their season with a 12:30 p.m. game Sunday at home against the Golden State Warriors.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts