Clippers open season with rematch against Trail Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Most pundits put the Los Angeles Clippers on a short list of contenders to make it to the NBA's Western Conference finals this season.

That's just fine with Doc Rivers, the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Clippers.

"It's not a burden," said Rivers, who begins his fourth season at the Clipper helm against the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night at the Moda Center. "Why should people expecting you to win ever be a burden I've never figured that one out."

"You should be excited and happy any time you're in the NBA and you're on a team that people think is good. That's a pleasure."

The Clippers are good.

The presence of All-Stars such as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan plus veterans J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers, the coach's son guarantee that.

Now the team has added depth with free-agent signings of forwards Marreese Speights and Brandon Bass and guards Alan Anderson and Raymond Felton to minimum deals.

It's ironic that the Clippers open the 2016-17 campaign against the team that knocked them out of the first round of the playoffs a year ago. Injuries to Paul and Griffin during the series play a large role in that, but it adds a bit of intrigue to the Clippers' debut game this season.

"We're excited," said Austin Rivers, who signed a three-year, $35-million contract in the offseason. "It's going to be a fun environment considering that's the team that knocked us out last year. We have our whole team back. So do they. It's going to be a fun game.

The Trail Blazers got a two-day jump on the season over the Clippers, coming from behind to defeat the Utah Jazz 113-104 Tuesday night in their home opener. Damian Lillard launched an unofficial MVP campaign by scoring 39 points, 16 in the decisive fourth quarter.

"The best way to show that I mean that is by going out and playing like it," the Blazers' two-time All-Star point guard said. "Tonight was a good start."

Portland had an outstanding offensive game, making 39 of 75 shots from the field (.520), 13 of 19 shots from the 3-point line (.684) and all 22 attempts from the foul line. The Blazers made their first seven 3-point tries and were 7 for 8 in the first half.

But Portland's defense -- a focus coming into this season -- was spotty at best, especially in yielding a 37-point third quarter to the Jazz.

"Sometimes we get into an offensive mode, because we have so many guys who can score," reserve forward Ed Davis said. "We can outscore 85 percent of the teams in the league. To be able to win night in and night out, though, you have to get stops. That's what we did in the fourth. We've got to have more quarters like the fourth and less like the third.

"You give up 37 in a quarter, no way you can win a game. Giving up 30 in a quarter is a lot."

The Blazers are special because of their camaraderie, Utah coach Quin Snyder said.

"They fit together really well," Snyder said. "Everybody embraces who they are. That's what makes them such a good team. They know their strengths. They complement each other. They're clearly an unselfish group, and that makes them hard to defend."