Clippers wake up and pull away from stubborn Blazers

The scenarios are complex and many, and almost impossible to predict before the end of the Clippers’ regular season. Lose this one, and depending on other teams’ outcomes, they could finish in sixth or maybe fifth. Win that one and they could be in fifth, sixth or even seventh by the time buzzer sounds on the season.

The best thing the Clippers can do to assure themselves of extending their season is simply win both their remaining games. That might not be as easy as it sounds.

The Portland Trail Blazers, who have been eliminated from the playoffs, had little to play for Saturday except the role of spoiler and almost pulled it off. The Clippers won 136-125, but not before the Blazers gave them an early scare.

As Paul George watched from the bench, Kawhi Leonard fought off double teams to score 13 of his team-high 27 points in the third half, giving coach Tyronn Lue the confidence to sit him, and the most of the starting unit, for the fourth quarter, potentially saving their energy for Sunday’s finale at Phoenix.

Russell Westbrook added 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. Norman Powell came off the bench to add 23 points and five assists. Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite the urgency for victories, the Clippers (43-38) came out sluggish and needed a big third quarter to assure themselves of winning at least one of their final two games. Led by Leonard, they scored 45 points in the third – a season high for a quarter – to pull away.

But not far enough to be overly comfortable. Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe and Keon Knox II continued to find open lanes in the second half, pulling to within 128-116 with three minutes to play.

Sharpe finished with 26 points, four rebounds and four assists. Knox II led the team with 30 points and 11 rebounds and Trendon Watford added 24 points.

“We just got to have a professional approach and continue to work on ourselves and what we need to do on both sides of the basketball,” Lue said before the game. “Our mindset is that we know what we have at stake and we want to try to go in and win these next two games and so our focus has to be on us.”

Yet, they had to unexpectedly keep one eye on the Blazers, who came into the game having won just five games since the All-Star break.

With nothing to play for, the Trail Blazers sat all five starters and 10 players overall, starting two rookies and one second-year player against the Clippers’ current lineup of Leonard, Nicolas Batum, Zubac, Eric Gordon and Westbrook.

And still the Blazers were able to give the Clippers trouble in the first half of Saturday’s matinee game and carried a 70-64 lead into the locker room at halftime.