Clippers vs. Blazers, 2016 NBA playoff results: Los Angeles loses game and Chris Paul as Portland evens series

Just when it seemed the pieces were falling into place for the Los Angeles Clippers, disaster struck. Chris Paul fractured a bone in his right hand and the Clippers lost Game 4 to the Portland Trail Blazers, 98-84, as the Blazers evened the series at two games apiece.

Paul had 16 points and four assists before he left the game in the third quarter, clearly distraught and in a lot of pain. He fractured the third metacarpal in his right hand, and the Clippers watched their playoff hopes take a serious blow.

Neither team could buy a bucket in a hectic, sloppy first half, and the Blazers led 47-43 at the half. Paul was the only Clippers player who was playing well, and after he left the game the Blazers took control. The Clippers, to their credit, did their best to stay with Portland, but without their star were unable to keep pace.

Tied at two, the series will head back to Los Angeles for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Here are three things we learned:

On Tim Duncan’s 40th birthday, Paul was reminding us that he is still one of the league’s premiere point guards. He single-handedly kept the Clippers in the game in the first quarter -- scoring the team’s first 12 points -- and continued to harass Lillard on the defensive end of the court throughout the game. Then, disaster struck. He swiped at Gerald Henderson on a fast break in the third quarter and had to leave the game with a third metacarpal fracture in his right hand.

It wasn’t just Paul. Blake Griffin was hurting, too. He had to exit the game with a sore quad. Even though he returned to the court, he wasn’t at full strength. The Blazers, to their credit, took advantage of the bad luck dealt to the Clippers -- unlike a certain team from Houston -- but it was a sad sight to see on a day the Golden State Warriors were also burdened by injury news.

After pulling away in the fourth quarter to seal this one, the Blazers are 20-3 in their last 23 home games. They didn’t follow their usual path to victory in this one, however. Instead of relying on Lillard and McCollum -- who did have 19 points -- the Blazers’ role players stepped up. Aminu had 30 and Mason Plumlee had a double-double even though he only had two points. He grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out 10 assists.

To their credit, even though they weren’t nailing shot after shot, Lillard and McCollum did have an impact on the game.

The Blazers were a long shot to make the playoffs this season, but now they could face two of the West’s best teams sans their star point guards.