The Los Angeles Clippers have possibly their biggest game of the season coming up on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers and it's going to take every tool they have to be able to pull off a win that could define their trajectory in the playoffs.

The reason that Friday's game is going to be so important is because seeding is on the line.

The Clippers currently have a one-game lead over the Trail Blazers in the standings, but should they lose Friday the teams will be tied record-wise and Portland will have control of the regular season tie breaker, effectively granting them the eighth-seed in the playoffs.

The last time the two teams faced off on March 31, the Trail Blazers came out on top in a 114-104 victory.

Clippers head coach Ty Lue is determined to learn from his team's past mistakes and what he's learned is that the Clippers needs to respond in the exact same way that Portland beat them last time, namely coming out strong to control the pace of the game. 

"Understanding how they beat us last time. I thought they were really physical. I thought they came in with the mindset that that was a big game for them," Lue said of the Trail Blazers. "We've got to go in with the same mindset on Friday. Not easing into the game, we've got to be physical from the start."

Early physicality is one of the biggest game changers in any basketball game. The team that sets the tone physically can jump out to both an early score and can grant a team a psychological advantage as well as they can establish themselves as the aggressors and avoid having the be the ones fighting back up.

That's the kind of advantage that Lue is looking to secure for his team, though it will be admittedly difficult to establish an early physical presence considering the depleted state of the roster with both Isaiah Jackson and Yanic Konan Niederhauser out with injuries. 

Still, even if the depth of the roster isn't fully equipped to deliver early physicality, Lue still stressed the importance of having a defensive mindset to start the game. Coming in with a strong mentality, even if the bodies on the roster aren't necessarily the best suited for the task.

Mentality will be everything when taking on the Trail Blazers. As Lue said, Portland took the most recent matchup by playing like they need to win the game and definitively, Friday is a must-win game for the Clippers and the Trail Blazers alike.