Portland Trail Blazers Playoff Schedule: Damian Lillard Leads Blazers Against Los Angeles Clippers


Portland Trail Blazers playoff schedules weren’t supposed to go out this year. The Blazers making the NBA Playoffs contradicts what many analysts had stated would take place after the team lost four of its starters. On Wednesday, April 13, the Blazers clinched sole possession of the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference by beating the Denver Nuggets 107-99. The Blazers finish the 2015-16 NBA regular season with a 44-38 record and have a date with the Los Angeles Clippers in the first-round of the postseason.

The Portland Trail Blazers playoff schedule officially begins on Sunday, April 17, with the Los Angeles Clippers hosting the game at Staples Center. Game 1 has a start time of 7:30 p.m. PT, and TNT will be providing the live television broadcast. During the regular season, the Clippers won the series 3-1, with the Blazers winning only a November 20 game at home. The 53-29 Clippers clinched the No. 4 seed in the West, giving them home court advantage in this first-round series.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, former Blazers All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge signed with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA offseason. That continued an offseason where the Blazers also traded starting small forward Nicolas Batum, let starting shooting guard Wesley Matthews sign with the Dallas Mavericks, and lost starting center Robin Lopez to the New York Knicks. The only Blazers starter who returned for the 2015-16 NBA season was point guard Damian Lillard, who helped steer this team right back to the playoffs.

Damian Lillard With Blazers
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Portland Trail Blazers playoff schedule will begin with a best-of-seven series against the Los Angeles Clippers, but the prize for winning that first-round series is a tough one. Should the Blazers advance to the second round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs, the team would likely face the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors just clinched the best record in NBA history at 73-9 this season and are also the defending NBA champions. That’s a tough matchup for any team in the NBA Playoffs and an odd consolation prize for the winner of the Blazers vs. Clippers series.

Dates and exact start times for the first four games of the Blazers vs. Clippers have been released by the NBA. Game 1 is on Sunday, April 17, but the teams don’t meet up again for Game 2 until Wednesday, April 20. The first two games are at Staples Center in Los Angeles, with the next two games taking place at Moda Center in Portland. Should more than four games be needed for the teams, the NBA will reveal the TV times at a later date. If needed, Game 5 will be in L.A., Game 6 will be in Portland, and Game 7 will be in L.A. again.

Full Portland Trail Blazers Vs. L.A. Clippers Playoff Schedule

Game 1 – Sunday, April 17 Portland at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 PM on TNT

Game 2 – Wednesday, April 20 Portland at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 PM on TNT

Game 3 – Saturday, April 23 L.A. Clippers at Portland, 10:30 PM on ESPN

Game 4 – Monday, April 25 L.A. Clippers at Portland, 10:30 PM on TNT

Game 5 * Wednesday, April 27 Portland at L.A. Clippers (TBD)

Game 6 * Friday, April 29 L.A. Clippers at Portland (TBD)

Game 7 * Sunday, May 1 Portland at L.A. Clippers (TBD)

Blazers Vs Clippers
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The 2016 NBA Playoffs actually begin on Saturday, April 16, with four matchups starting up. The Blazers are part of the second-day docket, with three games taking place on Sunday, April 17 before Portland and Los Angeles take center stage. The teams last played on March 24, with the Clippers winning a hard-fought game 96-94. The teams are each run by point guards, as Chris Paul and Damian Lillard will face off in a very familiar scenario. Now that the Portland Trail Blazers playoff schedule is set, fans can purchase tickets to attend the first-round home games.

[Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]

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