The short-handed Portland Trail Blazers nearly pulled off a monumental upset over one of the league’s hottest teams on Tuesday night. Ultimately, however, they succumbed to the late heroics of Paul George, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers by a final score of 113-112. After gaining a five-point lead with 1:03 remaining, Portland failed to score again, as the Clippers finished the game on a 6-0 run.
Playing without Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic, the Blazers played with an inspired effort, spearheaded by a pair of unlikely contributors off the bench. Norman Powell and CJ McCollum shouldered the scoring load, combining for 51 points on the night while Carmelo Anthony and Anfernee Simons also finished in double-figures off the bench.