NBA scores 2016: Clippers hold off shorthanded Blazers for 8th straight victory

Chris Paul lights up an undermanned Blazers team, New York stays hot and the rest of the action from Wednesday in the NBA.

by Satchel Price

Jan 7, 2016, 2:00 PM UTC

Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

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The Los Angeles Clippers didn't need any favors but got one anyways in a 109-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Portland guard C.J. McCollum was forced to miss the game due to a silly paperwork error by the team, which left the door wide open for LA to pull away from its shorthanded opponent and earn an eighth consecutive victory.

McCollum, the Blazers' starting shooting guard, is one of the league's leading scorers at 21 points per game. He's also totally healthy, but ended up missing the game against the Clippers because his coaching staff forgot to circle his name on the active roster sheet officially submitted before tip off. The league ruled that the roster could not be changed and McCollum had to stay inactive. Allen Crabbe started in his place.

That turned an already favorable matchup for the Clippers into an outright lopsided one. Los Angeles is one of the better teams in the West, while Portland is on the fringe of playoff contention even with McCollum. The Blazers were left unprepared without a top-15 scorer in the league and it was noticeable, especially in the first half.

The Clippers' backcourt had no troubles producing with guys like Crabbe and Gerald Henderson playing extra minutes. Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford all scored in double figures to help make up for Blake Griffin's ongoing absence. Paul Pierce also had a strong game with 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from three.

At halftime, LA led 63-40 and it seemed like the rout was on. Instead, the Blazers made some adjustments after halftime with the full knowledge that McCollum wouldn’t play and made things competitive. An 18-7 Portland run to open the third quarter trimmed the Clippers’ lead down to 12. Another run early in the fourth quarter had the Blazers within six.

The Clippers fought off the comeback from there, but credit goes to the Blazers for rallying without McCollum to make LA earn it. The Blazers outscored the Clips, 58-46, in the second half, but dug themselves too great a hole while scrambling without their No. 2 scorer in the first two quarters.

Paul was at his best with 21 points and a season-high 19 assists. That's the most dimes that CP3 has ever recorded in a Clippers uniform and his highest total since assisting 19 as a member of the New Orleans Hornets on Nov. 5, 2010. The point guard dazzled with his efficient playmaking and helped limit Damian Lillard to 7-of-25 shooting.

The Blazers' big men were actually the ones to step up. Starting center Mason Plumlee filled the box score with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists in just 25 minutes, Ed Davis came off the bench to put up a double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds) and Meyers Leonard added 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. On a night when Lillard struggled to overcompensate without his usual scoring partner, it was Portland's frontcourt that kept the team in the thick of things.

The absence of McCollum and a good Los Angeles team proved to be too much to overcome, however.

The Clippers have now won eight in a row, although it's worth noting all of those wins have come against below-.500 teams. The Blazers have lost three of their past four and now sit two games behind the Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

2 other things from Monday night

Streaky Knicks showing signs of life

New York has been one of the more entertaining teams of the year thanks to Kristaps Porzingis. Now the Knicks are actually starting to win some games, too, including a 98-90 road victory over the Heat on Wednesday. That's four wins in five games for the team, all against opponents with winning records. Carmelo Anthony is taking the next step in his evolution and proved that again by efficiently scoring 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the win. Porzingis got dunked on a bunch but still managed 12 points. New York shot 56 percent as a team. The only problem is consistency. The Knicks have won two-plus consecutive games on five different occasions this season. They've also had three different four-game losing streaks since late November. For an improving team, stability hasn't been its strong suit.

Orlando looking ordinary again

The Magic's big turnaround under coach Scott Skiles has gone on pause after a 95-86 loss to the Pacers on Wednesday. Orlando has now lost four in a row and fallen out of the early playoff picture with a 19-17 record. Skiles' work in improving the Magic on the defensive end has gotten a lot of praise, but it'll take better efforts than the one on display against Indiana to reach the postseason. The Magic have now been outscored by 20 points per 100 possessions over their past four games, per NBA.com. The team clearly misses point guard Elfrid Payton, a solid defender who's been sidelined by an ankle injury the past two games, and will need him healthy in order to get back on track. Orlando may be an up-and-comer, but the success is still fragile.

Play of the night

It's a good thing the Knicks came away victorious because otherwise this would've been a night to forget for Kristaps Porzingis. The staredown while trailing by double digits is probably a tad much, Hassan Whiteside, but we appreciate the enthusiasm after a monster slam.