Donovan Clingan Dominates the Boards as Trail Blazers Beat Nuggets
Donovan Clingan made life difficult for the Denver Nuggets all night, delivering a commanding performance inside the paint to help the Portland Trail Blazers secure a 118-110 victory.
The young centre finished with 17 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks, giving Portland exactly the kind of presence it needed around the basket.
His rebounding was particularly important, as he consistently battled for possession and made it difficult for Denver to find second-chance opportunities. It was another encouraging display from a player whose development could be crucial to Portland’s ambitions.
Deni Avdija led the way offensively with 28 points, five assists and three rebounds, while Damian Lillard chipped in with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Jrue Holiday was also close to recording a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists.
Denver had enough quality to make the contest competitive, but Portland did a good job of protecting its advantage when it mattered most.
The win takes the Trail Blazers to 5-1, an impressive record at this stage of the campaign. Clingan’s performance will certainly attract attention, especially if he continues to combine his rebounding and defensive work with reliable scoring.
