The Portland Trail Blazers host the Los Angeles Clippers at the Moda Center on Friday, April 10, at 11:00 p.m. ET.
The Trail Blazers are 40-40 and ninth in the West with a 22-17 home record, while the Clippers are 41-39 and eighth in the West with a 19-21 record on the road.
The Trail Blazers are coming off a 112-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, while the Clippers fell to a one-sided 128-110 loss to the OKC Thunder on Wednesday as well. This is the fourth and final matchup between the teams this season, with the Clippers leading the season series 2-1. Their last clash led to a 114-104 win for the Trail Blazers on March 31, 2026.
The Trail Blazers will have Deni Avdija leading the way, with the Israeli forward averaging 24.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists this season. Second-year center Donovan Clingan has enjoyed a breakout year, averaging 12.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks, solidifying himself as a starting center on a Playoff-caliber team.
The Clippers will be expecting All-NBA candidate Kawhi Leonard to continue his career-high scoring average in this clash, with Leonard averaging 28.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season. Midseason acquisition Darius Garland has gotten comfortable as Leonard’s co-star, averaging 18.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists since joining the franchise.
This is arguably the most meaningful clash remaining in the Western Conference this season. The Clippers and Blazers are fighting over the No. 8 seed and the preferred path in the Play-In Tournament, so both teams will put their best foot forward. A loss for the Blazers would eliminate them from the race for No. 8.
Injury Report
Trail Blazers
Vit Krejci: Questionable (calf)
Shaedon Sharpe: Questionable (fibula)
Jerami Grant: Out (calf)
Damian Lillard: Out (Achilles)
Clippers
Bradley Beal: Out (left hip fracture)
Isaiah Jackson: Out (right ankle sprain)
Yanic Konan Niederhauser: Out (right Lisfranc ligament tear)
Why The Trail Blazers Have The Advantage
The Blazers get their biggest advantage in the interior. The franchise ranks sixth in rebounds (46.0 RPG) and seventh in blocks (5.5 BPG) per game this season, with attacking the glass and protecting the rim led by Clingan’s exploits at center. Their high rebounding rate also means they lead the NBA in second-chance points per game (18.3). The Clippers are much weaker on the glass since losing Ivica Zubac, averaging 40.6 rebounds per game (29th in the NBA) on the season, so Portland will have a clear advantage here.
The Blazers have a 112.9 offensive rating on the season and a 113.7 defensive rating. Their offense has been imperfect all season, particularly in terms of outside shooting. However, the Blazers are eighth in the NBA when it comes to free throws attempted (25.2 FTA), so this should help them bridge any gaps their three-point shooting might create.
The Blazers are well-equipped to stop the Clippers and Leonard. Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara will be an annoying matchup for Leonard to deal with. Forcing Kawhi into a rough offensive night might be enough for any team to beat the Clippers this season, given the inconsistent production from the rest of the roster.
It’s fair to say that the Blazers have a bigger winning incentive in this game, even though both teams are fighting over the same seed. However, the Blazers are eliminated from contention for the No. 8 seed with a loss here. If they win, they go into the final day of regular-season games with the same record as the Clippers, so they will be playing like their season is on the line.
Why The Clippers Have The Advantage
The Clippers have had a slight edge on the Blazers over the season, primarily because they’re a far more consistent offensive unit than Portland. The Clippers have an offensive rating of 116.5 this season, which is a testament to their efficiency on that end of the court. They are third in field goal percentage (48.5 FG%), seventh in three-point percentage (36.8 3P%), and have the best free throw percentage (82.1 FT%) in the NBA this season.
The Clippers have a solid defensive unit with a 115.1 rating on the season. They force 9.1 steals per game, but will be targeting a higher number given the Blazers are the most turnover-prone offense in the NBA with 17.4 turnovers per game. This can allow the Clippers to create points off turnovers while ensuring the Blazers can never get into a stable offensive rhythm.
Opponents shoot only 21.4 free throws per game against the Clippers, so they’ll be hoping to restrict Portland and Avdija’s trips to the line in this game. Otherwise, it seems they match up really well with the Blazers on both ends of the court. They have the defensive solidity to trouble Portland’s unimpressive offense while having the kind of exciting offense that can penetrate Portland’s solid defense.
There’s a reason the Clippers have won this matchup more times this season. They are a better-balanced squad than the Blazers and have a record that underrates how good they’ve been. They were 15 games under .500 in December, so the records of these teams shouldn’t be mistaken as being of an equal level, as the Clippers have been on a 54-win pace since mid-December, as compared to Portland, who have played to the level of its seed so far this season.
X-Factors
Brook Lopez will have a huge role in this game. Given how impactful Clingan has been, especially in the back half of the season, Lopez will need to find a way to contain him. The 38-year-old center is averaging 8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds this season. He is a role-playing center who can protect the rim and stretch the floor for the Clippers. He might not be able to hang with Clingan on the glass, but he has to make it harder on that end with his 7’1″ frame under the basket.
Bennedict Mathurin has been a fantastic midseason addition to the Clippers’ second unit. He’s averaging 18.0 points and 5.5 rebounds since joining the franchise, proving that he can still be a winning piece on a Playoff team after being traded by last year’s NBA finalists. The Blazers have multiple defensive weapons on their team, but trying to contain Mathurin off the bench might be a trickier challenge than they would’ve expected.
Jrue Holiday has been a winner at every step in his career, and will be looking to make the Playoffs with the Blazers as well. He’s averaging 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists this season, continuing to show his value as one of the best two-way guards in the NBA. The Blazers kept him on the roster after acquiring him last summer to have his winning mentality rub off on the roster, which has happened this season. With any luck, it will happen in their game against the Clippers as well.
Toumani Camara has been impressing on the Blazers’ wing all season. He’s averaging 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists this year, proving his value as a three-and-D forward in the NBA. Camara will have the responsibility of restricting Leonard’s production with his defensive instincts and size. He can be a dependable offensive contributor if needed, but the Blazers will hope he’s the x-factor that can stop Kawhi from taking over this clash.
Prediction
Even though the Blazers are more desperate to win this game and keep their chances at the No. 8 seed alive, it seems the Clippers have more than enough to ensure this game ends in their favor. They’re more dynamic offensively and can get the job done defensively against Portland’s limited scoring. This game will end the last meaningful seeding battle in the West this season, so it should be a close battle between two motivated franchises.
Prediction: Clippers 112, Trail Blazers 110
