Game preview: Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers

The Clippers will host the Portland Trail Blazers at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Staples Center.

The Clippers (3-2) are coming off a 121-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors in which they trailed by as many as 29 points. After that game, the players had a team meeting.

“To me, talk is just talk,” Blake Griffin said. “I’d rather be a team that’s about it when we step on the court, than about it when we’re talking about it and sitting on the bus, sitting in the locker room.”

Even though the Clippers were being blown out in Wednesday’s game in Oakland, the players committed very few fouls, something Clippers Coach Doc Rivers interpreted as a lack of effort. Griffin finished that game with 14 points and only one rebound, which he didn’t get until the third quarter. He also lacked aggression, and was only sent to the free-throw line once.

“We’re just not playing well, and to me, we’re just not playing hard enough,” Rivers said.

Griffin took full responsibility for the team’s loss, saying that he needs to put forth more effort. However, he’s also keeping things in perspective.

“We have a bad game against Golden State and not everything is over and done with, you know what I mean,” Griffin said. “It’s not like our season was lost. We’ve played five games in seven days, and we had a bad outing, but we have to start making steps. It’s not like we go out against Portland, have a good game, and we’re like, ‘Well, thank God that’s over.’ We’ve just got to stay with it and keep working on the things we have to work on.”

The Portland Trail Blazers (3-2) have won two games in a row, against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Dallas Mavericks. They also recently lost to Golden State, but only by five points, 95-90.

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge is leading the Trail Blazers with 22.2 points and 6.2 rebounds a game.

The Trail Blazers don’t have any players listed as out for Saturday’s game. Glen “Big Baby” Davis is expected to make his regular season debut Saturday after missing the team’s first five games because of a strained right groin.

Twitter: @melissarohlin