The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Houston Rockets 104-98 on Saturday night, although rookie center Donovan Clingan did not score.
He provided very little offensively and missed all three of his attempts.
And there was absolutely no issue with that.
Clingan contributed to the victory by grabbing the most rebounds of any rookie this season (19) and blocking three shots in 25 minutes.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups told reporters that Donovan’s line is precisely who he is. Only a victor.
After being hit in the knee, Clingan left the game for a short while but came back.
He pulled down nine offensive rebounds, which helped the club score eighteen second-chance points. After falling short in the rebounding battle during Friday’s 116-88 loss to the Rockets, Portland prevailed 53-43.
Clingan stated following Saturday’s victory that the Blazers prioritized getting to the glass and set out to buck the pattern of recovery. Clingan grabbed eight of the Blazers’ 18 rebounds in the first quarter, while the Rockets only managed eight.
Clingan spoke to reporters about his night, saying, “I’m working hard and just trying to help my team win.” That’s what it does if that’s its function.
Billups bemoaned his team’s poor rebounding performance on Friday, particularly at the defensive end, where they are ranked 26th (30.9).
“I believe that you have to be intentional about rebounding,” he stated. Your hands won’t merely come up with the rebound. You must genuinely go after it. In addition to going for the ball, you must go hit someone.
Clingan gives Billups the kind of drive he needs to bounce back. In the team’s last six games, he has started in place of Deandre Ayton and averaged 10.2 in 22.7 minutes per game.
On defense, Clingan’s competitive spirit is also apparent. He has now blocked at least one shot to begin a career 17 times in a row after his three on Saturday. That put him two games behind Paul Gasol (19) and ahead of Michael Jordan (16).
On Friday, Clingan pushed past Bill Walton (15) to break the franchise record with his 16th consecutive block.
Alonzo Mourning (57), who is second all-time, is followed by Shaquille O. Neal (23).
The fourth-longest block streak to begin a career in NBA history was set by @clingan_donovan, who collected at least one block in each of the 17 games this season.Twitter: pic.twitter.com/XR6fWblhru
Latest Blazers news
-
Trail Blazers go as Anfernee Simons goes: He showed what he s made of’
-
Anfernee Simons leads Trail Blazers to bounce-back win at Rockets
-
Trail Blazers Scoot Henderson involved in minor car accident, out for Rockets game
-
Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets: Game preview, prediction, time, TV channel
-
Trail Blazers no match for Houston Rockets defense during loss
Aaron J. Fentress | [email protected]|@AaronJFentress (Facebook), @AaronFentress (Instagram), and @AaronJFentress (Twitter)
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
