The Clippers returned to Seattle for a third consecutive preseason, where several former Seattle Sonics were in attendance.
Among those former players were Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf, Lenny Wilkens, Shawn Kemp and former Clippers Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, who watched the Clippers defeat the Portland Trail Blazers on a last-second dunk, 101-99, at Climate Pledge Arena.
After a rousing pregame welcome from Seattle resident and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, James Harden got to work, scoring 14 first-half points on 5-of-10 shooting, including three 3-pointers. He also had four assists before taking a seat.
With their 10-time All-Star on the bench, others got an opportunity to make a case for minutes. Newcomer Derrick Jones Jr. got his game in gear early and finished with 16 points.
Bones Hyland got off the bench in the first quarter after not playing at all against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday because of hip soreness and finished with 14 points, three rebounds and one steal. He is one of the young players who will be vying for a bigger role in Coach Tyronn Lue’s rotation.
Hyland was unhappy with his limited play last season and, along with P.J. Tucker, was sent home for the final game before the All-Star break.
Jordan Miller and Nicolas Batum also saw first-quarter minutes Friday.
But it turned out to be a handful of players, many of whom are one step away from the G League, who pulled the game out in the final minute. With 2.2 seconds left and the score tied, Kai Jones slammed home an alley-oop pass from Miller for the two-point victory.
A lineup featuring Elijah Harkless, Kobe Brown, Alondes Williams, Jones and Miller closed out the Clippers’ second preseason victory.
Jones again displayed his athleticism with five dunks, two in the fourth quarter, after slamming home six in Tuesday’s game.
Miller’s last-second pinpoint pass wasn’t his only contribution in the game. He finished with 15 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes, continuing to make his case for a spot in the rotation and possibly a full-time contract.
Miller currently is a two-way player who established himself during Summer League play, averaging 25.4 points, on 54.9% shooting from the field and 60% from 3-point range. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.
After their strong start, the Clippers failed to score a basket in the final 4:17 of the third quarter, enabling the Blazers to end the quarter on an 11-5 run for a 78-76 lead.
The final quarter remained close with neither team gaining more than a two-point edge until Williams and Miller scored back-to-back floaters to give the Clippers an 88-84 lead with 5:49 left to play.
Another of Jones’ dunks further pushed the Clippers ahead, 90-84. The Blazers went on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 90-89. The Clippers retained control of the game, taking a 97-91 lead with 1:24 remaining.
Portland outscored the Clippers 8-2 in the final 1:20 to tie the score with four seconds left, setting up Jones’ game-winning slam.
Norman Powell, who started the first two preseason games, didn’t make the trip because of back soreness. After Thursday’s practice, Lue alluded to the guard feeling something that might keep him from playing.
Amir Coffey replaced Powell in the starting lineup.
