PREVIEW: The Portland Trail Blazers pursue the eighth seed in the Western Conference in a crucial matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers at Moda Center on Friday. A Blazers loss locks them into the ninth seed and a do-or-die play-in matchup against Golden State, requiring two wins in three days to reach the playoffs. Kawhi Leonard leads the Clippers at 28 points per game, though Darius Garland, averaging 20.4 points since his midseason trade, missed Wednesday's contest with a toe injury . The Clippers' offensive weapons rank among the league's most efficient, particularly their free throw shooting at the top percentile and three-point accuracy that sits in the upper tier. The Trail Blazers counter with their own formidable frontcourt, ranking seventh in rebounds per game with strong interior production from Donovan Clingan, Deni Avdija, and Robert Williams. Avdija leads Portland's scoring at 24 points per game while contributing 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists . However, Portland's shooting efficiency from beyond the arc has been inconsistent throughout the season, and their turnover problems rank among the worst in the league. Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue emphasized the importance of matching Portland's physicality from the opening tip, having learned from their previous 114-104 loss in March.