Clippers vs Blazers: Expected Line Up Tonight for the LA Side

The Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Portland Trail Blazers is one of the 13 matches scheduled for tonight. The Blazers are currently on a three-game losing streak and have dropped to the 14th spot in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Clippers will enter the contest hot after breaking an 11-game home losing streak. The Clippers seem to have figured out their fit and are currently riding high on a three-game winning streak. While the Blazers are already the worst-ranked offensive team in the league, their situation tonight will be more dire since they’ll enter the contest shorthanded, potentially without three of their top-five scorers. Therefore, a win against the Clippers, who will be hoping to continue their upward momentum, will be an uphill task.

As both teams gear up to battle it out at the Crypto.com Arena, let’s take a closer look at the predicted Clippers starting lineup that the struggling Blazers will be up against.

The projected starting lineup for the LA Clippers

The Clippers will be fielding a fairly healthy roster tonight when they meet the Blazers in the City of Angels. On the LA side, they are monitoring three players on the injury report. The Clippers will miss the services of Moussa Diabate who is dealing with left hip soreness. They will also be without Mason Plumlee, who is recovering from a serious MCL sprain and is expected to make a comeback by mid-January. Furthermore, Joshua Primo is listed as day-to-day.

However, their core rotation players are in good health. Therefore, their starting lineup would look like – James Harden, Terrance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac.

The projected starting lineup for the Portland Trail Blazers

On the other hand, the Blazers will be extremely shorthanded, since two of the starters have made an appearance on the injury report. Malcolm Brogdon is listed as a game-time decision as he is nursing a knee injury. Joining him on the day-to-day club is DeAndre Ayton who is also struggling with a knee injury and is questionable for tonight. The Blazers will be without Jerami Grant, who is on concussion protocol. Ish Wainright is expected to miss four to six weeks as he recovers from a left knee MCL sprain. And, Robert Williams III will miss the entire season after undergoing surgery on his right knee.

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Therefore, the starting five for Portland might look like this: Malcolm Brogdon, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Jabari Walker and DeAndre Ayton. However, if Brogdon decides to rest, Skylar Mays might take up the lead point guard duties tonight. Similarly, if Ayton is sidelined against the Blazers, Duop Reath may start as a center.

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