At the end of a frantic final 90 seconds on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the Trail Blazers not only secured a 106-105 road win, they had sealed their best win of the season.
It wasn’t as easy as Sunday’s blowout over the New Orleans Pelicans, but it was more satisfying as it came with contributions from nearly everyone on the roster.
In the first half, Scoot Henderson helped get the offense in gear and Kris Murray provided a do-everything jolt off the bench. After slogging through his first shift in the opening quarter, Anfernee Simons carried the offensive load in the final three quarters. Toumani Camara pressured Clippers point guard James Harden all night long, and Deni Avdija filled up the stat sheet with a gritty, well-rounded night, including a massive block to halt a fast break with under a minute to go in the game.
Rayan Rupert had a game-altering shift to begin the fourth quarter with seven quick points to keep the game close and then Deandre Ayton made the two biggest plays of the night to seal the win.
Ayton’s climb-over-the-rim hook shot with 1:38 left gave the Blazers a one-point lead and neither team scored in the final 90 seconds. The Clippers final chance came with under four seconds to go, but Ayton snuffed out an lob pass on the final in bounds play and came away with a victory clinching steal as Harden tried to float the ball into Ivica Zubac.
Up and down the roster, everyone played a role in eking out the team’s most gratifying win of the season.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Blazers’ thrilling win over the Clippers, tune into the Locked On Blazers podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Blazers Podcast:
- Some offensive wrinkles and adjustments by Chauncey Billups
- The evolving role of Scoot Henderson in the Blazers’ lineup
- Player spotlight: Ryan Rupert’s impact and potential
- A shooting trend worth keeping an eye on
