The Clippers returned to Seattle for the third consecutive preseason, with several former Seattle Sonics in attendance.

Among those former players were Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf, Lenny Wilkens, Shawn Kemp and former Clippers Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, who watched the Clippers defeat the Portland Trail Blazers on a last-second dunk, 101-99, at Climate Pledge. Arena.

After a rousing pre-game welcome from Seattle resident and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, James Harden went to work, scoring 14 points in the first half on 5-for-10 shooting, including three 3-pointers. He also had four assists before taking the seat.

With their 10-time All-Star on the bench, others were given the opportunity to make their case for minutes. Newcomer Derrick Jones Jr. got his game into gear early and finished with 16 points.

Bones Hyland came off the bench in the first quarter after not playing at all against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday due to hip soreness, finishing with 14 points, three rebounds and one steal. He is one of several young players who will compete for a bigger role in Coach Tyronn Lue’s rotation.

Hyland was unhappy with his limited play last season and was sent home along with P.J. Tucker for the final game before the All-Star break.

Jordan Miller and Nicolas Batum also saw the first quarter minutes on Friday.

But it turned out to be a handful of players, many of whom are just one step away from the G League, who took control of the game in the final minute. With 2.2 seconds left and the score tied, Kai Jones knocked in an alley-oop pass from Miller for the two-point win.

A lineup featuring Elijah Harkless, Kobe Brown, Alondes Williams, Jones and Miller produced the Clippers’ second win of the preseason.

Jones again showed off his athleticism with five dunks, two in the fourth quarter, after knocking down six points in Tuesday’s game.

Miller’s precise last-second pass wasn’t his only contribution to the match. He finished with 15 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes and continued to make a case for a spot in the rotation and possibly a full-time contract.

Miller is currently a two-way player who has established himself playing Summer League, averaging 25.4 points on 54.9% shooting from the field and 60% from three-point range. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals.