Clippers vs. Trail Blazers Preview: What's at Stake for LA on Friday?

Playoff basketball is right around the corner. While some teams are making their final preparations for a championship run, the Los Angeles Clippers still have two regular-season games left to secure a top-8 seed. The Clippers are coming off an 18-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and are 41-39.

The postseason didn't look attainable for LA several times this year. Despite a dreadful 6-21 start and dealing away multiple star players at the trade deadline, head coach Ty Lue has his team in a position to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

Obviously, a spot in the Play-In Tournament doesn't guarantee anything. But the Clippers' matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday will significantly impact LA's odds of making the postseason.

Previewing Clippers vs. Trail Blazers

When: 10:00 p.m. ET, Friday, April 10
Where: Moda Center, Portland, OR

The Trail Blazers (40-40) defeated the Clippers 114-104 on March 31st, led by Jrue Holiday, who had 30 points, and Deni Avdija, who chipped in 28 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Portland is coming into Friday's game on a two-game losing streak.

LA leads the season series 2-1, but Friday's game will determine who gets the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The winner will play the Phoenix Suns in the first Play-In Tournament game. The loser will finish with the ninth seed and face the Golden State Warriors in the 9-10 matchup. If they win, they get to play the loser of the 7-8 matchup for a final shot at a postseason spot.

The Clippers have battled injuries all season, but they should be close to full strength on Friday. Isaiah Jackson is nursing an ankle sprain, so his status is in question. Point guard Darius Garland was sidelined in the second half of a back-to-back, but he should be good to go against Portland.

Keys to a Clippers Victory

The Trail Blazers are one of the best rebounding teams in the league. They rank seventh in the league in rebounds per game (46.0), led by Donovan Clingan, Avdija, and Robert Williams. In their last matchup, Portland outrebounded LA 48-30 with 18 offensive rebounds to the Clippers' eight.

If LA wants a win, they have to shorten that gap. Per Clippers beat writer Joey Linn, Kawhi Leonard talked about Friday's game. He said, "Just play like any other game. Gotta do the same thing we do every night. Make sure we don't make mistakes. Execute, rebound, play with energy, bring aggression. Same thing."

Leonard and Garland will likely lead the scoring efforts, but some production off the bench would be massive. Bennedict Mathurin has struggled from beyond the arc, but if he can chip in some threes, that would bode well for LA. Kobe Sanders has been an energetic boost off the bench, scoring 45 points combined in his last three games. Keep an eye on Sanders to lead the second unit.

This game has large implications for the playoff picture. A win would set up a date with the Suns, and a loss would make that hill to the playoffs much harder to climb.