The short-handed Los Angeles Clippers will be trying overturn their bad luck when they host the visiting Portland Trail Blazers for Game 5 of their Western Conference First Round best-of-seven playoff series at the Staples Center on Wednesday.

The series is currently tied at two-all with the Clippers two main men out of the series. It remains to be seen if the Steve Ballmer-owned basketball organization can cope with the loss of All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin from their lineup.

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Clippers starting forward Blake Griffin has been ruled out for the rest of the playoffs after aggravating his left quadriceps tendon, while All-Star guard Chris Paul has undergone surgery on his right hand.

"It's bum's luck three years in a row," Clippers' head coach Doc Rivers said. "You just got to keep going. You wake up in the morning and you feel like we're going to find a way."

The fourth-seeded Los Angeles squad won two games in a row as they claimed the first two matches played on their home court, but lost when the series moved to the Moda Center for Games three and four.

Now the pivotal fifth game is to be staged at the Clippers' hard wood, and Doc Rivers is positive that they will play well against the fifth-seeded Trail Blazers.

"We have a very competitive basketball team and they have proven that all year," the 2000 NBA Coach of the Year Rivers said. "We have won games before without key guys and we can win games in the future without key guys."

Damian Lillard is expected to carry his team and take advantage of the injuries the Clippers are facing to take a commanding 3-2 series lead.

"It changes a lot," Lillard said. "Their best player goes down. The guy who makes their offense go. It's unfortunate. You don't wish that on anybody, but they still have a really good team."

TagsLos Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA 2016, 2016 nba playoffs, Western Conference, chris paul, damian lillard, blake griffin