Five takeaways from the Clippers’ 121-120 win over Trailblazers

The Clippers edged the Trailblazers, 121-120, in a chippy game at the Staples Center on Monday night. It was the Clippers’ second consecutive win after dropping five of seven. Below are five takeaways from the action.

1. Slow to the finish

It took 19 minutes for the last 11.5 seconds of the game to come off the clock, which was largely due to a pair of ejections.

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and Trailblazers shooting guard Evan Turner had to be separated after a short-lived shoving match. Jordan knocked Damian Lillard to the ground before Turner bumped into Jordan’s shoulder while passing him. Jordan quickly turned around and said “You watch it!” while sticking his finger in Turner’s face. Turner grabbed Jordan’s finger and Jordan pointed with his other hand.

This went on for a few seconds, with Turner pushing Jordan before twice smacking away his hand. The Clippers and Trailblazers met in the playoffs last season — the Trailblazers won — and their matchups are known to get testy. The Clippers, after coming away with the tight win on Monday, did not think much of it.

“It’s competition. Both teams want to win,” said Clippers point guard Chris Paul. “There wasn’t nothing happening. It is what it is.”

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2. Blake is back

Blake Griffin missed the Clippers’ win over the Pelicans on Saturday with knee soreness, and did not leave the game unscathed Monday.

Griffin was twice hit in the face — with one of those plays leading to a technical foul on Mason Plumlee — received stitches in his upper lip and had a cut under his right eye. He did finish with a game-high 26 points, and collected 12 rebounds and six assists. He also played a game-high 40 minutes and made 15 of his 25 field goal attempts.

“It was pretty physical,” Griffin said. “We were trying to attack, trying to be physical. Not a lot of fouls [were called] either way, really.”

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3. Needed return

Raymond Felton missed the last two games following the death of his grandmother and was instrumental upon his return to the court.

Felton finished with 10 points off the bench, but it was his defense on the Trailblazers’ electric backcourt that changed the tide of the game. Felton matched up with both C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard at different times, and did a good job of slowing them down despite their high point totals (25 and 24, respectively).

McCollum scored just two points in the fourth, and was shadowed by Felton for most of the quarter. Felton matching up with either him or Lillard allowed Paul to stay with an easier matchup in Maurice Harkless. Felton’s defense was doubly important due to the absence of Austin Rivers (concussion), who can also guard opposing teams’ top guards.

Clippers Coach Rivers added that Felton’s defense won the Clippers the game.

“I was winded,” Felton said, though noting that he was able to work out while away from the team. “But it was good to be out there and get my mind off things a little bit.”

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4. Plumlee then, Plumlee now

Mason Plumlee had his worst game of the season the last time the Trailblazers visited the Staples Center, which resulted in a 31-point loss for his team.

Plumlee finished with four points and four rebounds while making just one of 12 shots that night. He was much more effective on Monday, however, going for 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five blocks.

“It was probably our most competitive game of the year,” Trailblazers Coach Terry Stotts said, and Plumlee was a big part of that. “I thought we really competed.”

5. Two for the road

The Clippers grabbed two wins before heading off for a three-game road trip, and it feels like the wheels are spinning in the right direction once again. After an NBA-best 14-2 start, the Clippers went 2-5 before beating the Pelicans and Trailblazers in their last two contests.

“It’s always good to get a win before you go on a road trip like we’re going on,” Paul said. “We understand how we started off the season and we’ve been down and now we’re trying to pick it back up.”

jesse.dougherty@latimes.com

Twitter: @dougherty_jesse