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Butler leads Clippers to first preseason win

Oct 10, 2009 - 5:16 AM LOS ANGELES(AP) -- Rasual Butler scored 14 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to their first preseason victory, 97-85 over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

After Portland took a 5-4 lead, the Clippers never trailed again.

Al Thornton, Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon all had 12 points for the Clippers (1-1), while Sebastian Telfair had 10 assists.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Trail Blazers (2-1) with 13 points while former Clippers' point guard Andre Miller added 11.

Aldridge scored six straight points in Portland's 10-0 run that cut the Clippers' lead to 59-55 in the third quarter. But the Clippers answered with an 8-2 spurt capped by Gordon's layup.

Blake Griffin, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, played in his first exhibition game after sitting out with a bruised left knee. Griffin received a standing ovation when he entered the game with 1:45 left in the first quarter. He finished with eight points and five rebounds. He scored his first six points on fast-break dunks.

Portland's Ime Udoka made a 3-pointer and Jerryd Bayless followed with a driving layup that trimmed the Clippers' lead to 53-45 at halftime.

The Clippers led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter and had 18 assists and 11 steals at halftime.