Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers celebrates a three pointer from Luke Kennard #5 with a Trail Blazer foul during the first half at Staples Center on October 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Harry How / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Hot-shooting Luke Kennard scored 23 points off the bench to help the Los Angeles Clippers roll to an easy 116-86 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Kennard made 8 of 10 field-goal attempts, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range, as Los Angeles notched its first win of the season in its third contest.
Reggie Jackson scored 18 points and Paul George contributed 16 points and a career-best eight steals for the Clippers. Terance Mann added 13 points, and Ivica Zubac had 10 points and eight rebounds as Los Angeles defeated the Trail Blazers for the seventh consecutive time.
🔒🔒🔒🔒
🔒🔒🔒🔒Career-high 8 STEALS for @Yg_Trece! pic.twitter.com/tc1qzlMJCP
— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2021
CJ McCollum scored 20 points for Portland, which committed 30 turnovers while losing for the second time in three games under new coach Chauncey Billups. Anfernee Simons tallied 12 points off the bench and Damian Lillard had just 12 on 4-of-15 shooting while missing all eight of his 3-point attempts.
Lillard is averaging just 17 points through three games after scoring at a 28.8 clip last season while earning second-team All-NBA honors. He is shooting just 36 percent from the field and is a woeful 2-of-24 (8.3 percent) from 3-point range.
Los Angeles led by as many as 35 points and shot 47.3 percent from the field, including 14 of 43 from 3-point range. The Clippers racked up 21 steals.
Nassir Little added 10 points for the Trail Blazers, who made just 38.1 percent of their shots and were 8 of 37 from behind the arc.
Los Angeles ended the first quarter with a 14-2 run to open up a 31-17 lead.
The Clippers pushed the lead to 16 in the opening minute of the second quarter and held a 56-42 lead at the break.
Kennard was 6 of 7 from the field, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, while scoring 17 points in the half.
Los Angeles rattled off 12 straight during the third quarter to push the lead above 30 as Justise Winslow’s basket made it 83-52 with 2:45 left in the period.
The Clippers held a 91-61 lead entering the final stanza and stretched the lead to 100-65 on Mann’s 3-pointer with 8:50 remaining.