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Clippers, Trail Blazers attempting to finish strong

Mar 21, 2008 - 2:22 PM LA Clippers (21-46) at Portland (35-33) 10:00 pm EDT

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) - The race to stay over .500 for the Portland Trail Blazers continues on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Neither team is headed to the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference, but the Trail Blazers are continuing to battle as if they were. With No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden back playing next season, Portland expects to be in a different position.

"Let's stay next year we're in a playoff race - and we will be - we need to be mentally prepared," Trail Blazers' center Channing Frye said. "We should know what it feels like and continue to push."

Portland had a 13-game winning streak earlier in the season, but is only 17-21 since. The Trail Blazers have not been to the playoffs since the 2002-03 campaign.

The Clippers, without the services of forward Elton Brand and point guard Shaun Livingston all season, have lost five straight games and 13 of their last 15.

"We want to finish strong because going into next year we will get players back," Los Angeles forward Al Thornton said. "We know we can't get into the playoffs, but we want to build and go into next season strong."

Portland won the first of the three-game season series, 82-80, on February 27. The teams wrap up the home-and-home on Saturday in Los Angeles.