Trail Blazers 116, Clippers 112
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Guard Wesley Matthews hit four consecutive free throws over the final 1:05 of overtime, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 116-112 Thursday night at the Moda Center.
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who own the NBA's best record at 24-5.
The Blazers overcame a spectacular performance by Los Angeles guard Chris Paul, who went for 34 points, 16 assists and six steals.
Six Blazers scored in double figures, including Matthews (19 points, seven rebounds, six assists) and forward Nicolas Batum (19 points, seven rebounds).
Los Angeles forward Blake Griffin had a season-high 35 points to go with 11 rebounds, and guard Jamal Crawford added 21 points for the Clippers (20-11).
In the extra session, Aldridge's three-point play gave Portland a 104-103 lead with 3:33 left. The teams then exchanged baskets and leads over the next 2 1/2 minutes until Matthews sank two shots at the line to put the Blazers on top 108-107 with 1:05 to play.
Griffin scored at one end, Aldridge the other to leave the Blazers ahead 110-109. Then Griffin missed a driving left-handed layup with 28 seconds remaining, and the Clippers fouled Batum, who made two free throws with 26.5 ticks left to give Portland a 112-109 advantage.
Griffin scored on a driving dunk two seconds later. Blazers guard Damian Lillard was fouled and converted two free throws to make it 114-111 with 20 seconds to go. Crawford made one of two at the line to cut the difference to 114-112 with 13.4 seconds left.
Matthews then knocked down two at the line with 12.7 seconds remaining to put the victory on ice.
Portland extended a 47-46 halftime lead to 61-51 after successive 3-point shots by Lillard and Matthews and a pair of foul shots by center Robin Lopez. The Clippers, led by Paul, rolled out with an 8-0 streak to trim the margin to 61-59. The Blazers held a 76-73 advantage going into the final period.
The Blazers, who entered the game 18-0 in games in which they led going into the fourth quarter, hiked their lead to 91-80 with 7:39 to play. The Clippers responded with an 11-0 tear to draw even at 91-91 with 4:40 remaining.
From there, the teams battled back and forth. Paul hit two jumpers, the second giving Los Angeles a 99-98 advantage with 40.2 seconds to go. Aldridge's shot at the rim was blocked by Jordan with 30 seconds to play in regulation. Paul then buried a baseline jumper to lift the Clippers in front 101-98 with 9.3 seconds remaining.
After a timeout, Batum sank an open 3-pointer from the top of the key with 5.3 seconds left, knotting the score at 101-101. Paul got an open look at a 12-footer to win, but his shot bounced off the rim, and it was on to overtime.
NOTES: F LaMarcus Aldridge, listed as a "game-time decision" after having three wisdom teeth removed Sunday, was in Portland's starting lineup. ... Blazers G Mo Williams, who injured a hip late in Saturday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, also played. ... Doc Rivers said his players are in "a bad ejection rut right now." The first-year Clippers coach was reflecting on F Matt Barnes' ejection and $25,000 fine for not leaving the court in a timely manner in Sunday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus F Blake Griffin's dismissal from Wednesday's loss at Golden State following a pair of technicals. "We'll get out of it," Rivers said. "It happens. Matt shouldn't have been thrown out. Blake shouldn't have been thrown out." The NBA agreed regarding Griffin, announcing that Griffin's second technical should have been a common foul.
