Scoring Limitations Will Define Trail Blazers' Ceiling

📍INGLEWOOD, Calif. — If the Trail Blazers were going to compete for the playoffs, they were always going to do it on the back of their defense.

On that side of the floor, through three games, they've held up their end of the promise. The offense has been much shakier, and on Sunday, at the start of their first road trip of the year, the same late-game shooting woes that did them in against Minnesota in the season opener kept the Clippers out of reach.

The Blazers won the offensive rebounding battle 18-7 and their defense forced 21 Clippers turnovers. They got to the free-throw line 19 more times than the Clippers, with double the amount of makes. Most games like that, a team will win.