<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-calls-out-atlanta-donovan-clingan-issue-loss-trail-blazers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Trae Young calls out Hawks over Donovan Clingan issue in loss to Trail Blazers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Hawks-news-Trae-Young-calls-out-Atlanta-over-Donovan-Clingan-issue-in-loss-to-Trail-Blazers.jpg"></figure><h1>Trae Young calls out Hawks over Donovan Clingan issue in loss to Trail Blazers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T20:36:17-07:00">April 1st, 8:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T07:36:37-07:00">April 2nd, 7:36am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>ATLANTA – After coming off a<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/hawks-vs-bucks-prediction-odds-pick-spread-3-30-2025"> big win against the Milwaukee Bucks</a> where they were able to clinch a Play-In berth, the Atlanta Hawks were not able to keep that momentum going at home. The Portland Trail Blazers came into the State Farm Arena <a href="https://x.com/_MalikATL/status/1907252360751022310" rel="noopener">and won 127-113</a>, dominating the Hawks on the boards.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/trail-blazers-news-donovan-clinigan-gets-real-defensive-presence-after-win-hornets">Donovan Clingan was a big problem</a> for the Hawks, as he finished with only seven rebounds, but his ability to keep plays alive on offense helped the Trail Blazers on the way to 32 second-chance points. After the game, Young was vocal about the impact Clingan had on the floor, which led to the Hawks losing.</p><p>“S—, there’s a 7’5, 7’3 kid down there,” Young said. “I think there were a couple of times where we were boxing him out and he just had his hands up and we had to foul him. It’s stuff that we can get better at, some of it is the luck of the basketball and how it falls off the rim. But we gotta do better.”</p><p>The Trail Blazers kept the pressure on the Hawks the entire game, and at one point they led by 18 points. Young was getting picked up at full-court, which made the Hawks have to make quicker decisions.</p><p>“We just played too slow,” Young said. “Gotta give them credit, they kind of slowed us down, picking me up full, not letting us get out in transition. Anytime we did, we were able to score easily, anytime we played fast we were able to score easily. They did a good job to end the first half and really the second half. We just have to do a better job at executing and playing through physicality.”</p><h2><b>Hawks can’t overcome Trail Blazers physicality in loss</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Trae-Young.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Outside of getting outrebounded, the Hawks also coughed the ball up a lot during the game. As a team, the Trail Blazers present a lot of problems with how their team is built, and the Hawks couldn’t match up with them.</p><p>“19 turnovers and 19 offensive rebounds, that’s a possession game. I thought their length and their size were certainly a factor,” head coach Quin Snyder said.</p><p>“It was a game of runs, they went on some runs,” Dyson Daniels said. “Too many turnovers, too many easy baskets for them. Obviously, they’re big and have size at every position. They do a really good job of being in the passing lanes and picking up. One of those games we needed to be really good to beat them, and we gave the ball up too much.”</p><p>The Hawks were able to make a run in the fourth quarter and cut their deficit down to as little as four points, but the Trail Blazers went back to dominating on the boards and making clutch shots. Deni Avdija finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Shaedon Sharpe finished with 33 points and 10 rebounds.</p><p>The Hawks can’t harp too much on this loss, because they’ll be in Dallas tomorrow to face the Mavericks.</p><p>“That’s a part of the NBA, that’s the best part about it,” Young said. “It’s easy to feel good when you have a great game but you have to play in 24 hours so you can’t feel too good about it because if you don’t play good, then it doesn’t mean anything. You can never get too high or too low in any moment of the season so right now I’m not going to get too low on a loss.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Trae Young calls out Hawks over Donovan Clingan issue in loss to Trail Blazers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-donovan-clingan-catches-brutal-stray-mikal-bridges-game-winner');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Donovan Clingan catches brutal stray after Mikal Bridges’ game-winner');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Blazers-news-Donovan-Clingan-catches-brutal-stray-after-Mikal-Bridges-game-winner.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Donovan Clingan catches brutal stray after Mikal Bridges’ game-winner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-13T09:27:29-07:00">March 13th, 9:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-13T09:27:29-07:00">March 13th, 9:27am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers were not able to walk away with the win against the New York Knicks and give credit to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-trail-blazers-home-crazy-3-pointer-buzzer">Mikal Bridges for hitting the shot</a> to send them home. It was a perfect play for Bridges, as Josh Hart set a screen for him and got Donovan Clingan matched up on him. All Bridges had to do was lift up and hit the shot, and that’s exactly what he did.</p><p>After the game, Josh Hart described the play from his own point of view, and he <a href="https://x.com/NBA_NewYork/status/1900104543452426246" rel="noopener">got some names wrong</a> while telling the story.</p><p>“I saw Claman or Clingman, whatever (Donovan Clingan) kinda in a drop, I told Mikal ‘make sure you ball fake, Imma get open, Imma get you the ball,’ and he did what he did,” Hart said.</p><p>https://twitter.com/NBA_NewYork/status/1900104543452426246</p><p>Hart may have been too excited to get any names right at that moment except Bridges, but all he probably cared about at that moment was the win.</p><p>As for the Blazers, it probably wasn’t the best defensive process for them at the end of the game, especially with Clingan having to guard Bridges. Head coach Chauncey Billups admitted that he wished things were different with his lineups in that situation.</p><p>“To be honest if I had to do it over I would’ve taken Clingan out…my fault…,” Billups said.</p><p>Despite the loss, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/blazers-news-portland-deni-avdija-career-cavs">Blazers have picked it up</a> over the past few weeks, and their young players are starting to figure it out. It will take a lot for them to climb up and make it into the Play-In tournament, but there have been some good things to take away from the season.</p><p>The hope is that they continue to play well as the stretch of the season gets closer, and they have things to build on for next season. Billups is also growing as a coach as well, and he’ll only get better with time as well.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Donovan Clingan catches brutal stray after Mikal Bridges’ game-winner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/trail-blazers-news-donovan-clinigan-gets-real-defensive-presence-after-win-hornets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Trail Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan gets real on defensive presence after win vs. Hornets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Donovan-Clinigan-gets-real-on-defensive-presence-after-win-vs.-Hornets.jpg"></figure><h1>Trail Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan gets real on defensive presence after win vs. Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-25T08:09:29-08:00">January 25th, 8:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-25T08:09:29-08:00">January 25th, 8:09am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A basketball player couldn’t <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-rookie-donovan-clingans-block-party-has-fans-excited-for-cling-kong">earn a nickname like Cling Kong</a> if he wasn’t an intimidating presence around the basket. Sure, it helps that Portland Trail Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan has the ‘Cling’ right there in the front of his last name, but if the 7-foot-2 center hadn’t <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/uconn-center-donovan-clingans-draft-stock-skyrockets-amid-dominant-ncaa-tournament">made a name for himself during his two years with the UConn Huskies</a> as one of the nation’s premier rim protectors, no such nickname would exist.</p><p>Thus far, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-donovan-clingan-portland-feat-not-seen-since-bill-walton">Clingan has lived up to that billing</a>, proving that the skillset he displayed in Storrs was transferable to the NBA. On Friday night, Clingan finished with 4 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in a 102-97 win over the Charlotte Hornets. After the game, Cling Kong explained that he takes a great deal of pride in his ability to <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1882994240663531543" rel="noopener">impact games in the paint</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I love defense, I love guarding. I wanna have presence in the paint. I wanna alter shots, block shots, and make people not take shots.”</p><p>Donovan Clingan on taking pride in his defense 🔥</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDonatien?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerryDonatien</a>) <a href="https://t.co/nkitDgLSmd">pic.twitter.com/nkitDgLSmd</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1882994240663531543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Of course, the fact that Clingan arrived in Portland and has been an impactful defender out of the gate shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Clingan was the dominant defensive force for a UConn Huskies team that stormed through the 2024 NCAA Tournament on their way to a second straight National Title. A dominant month of March which included a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/uconn-basketball-news-donovan-clingan-boosts-nba-draft-stock-22-minute-masterclass-vs-illinois">defensive masterclass against the Illinois Fighting Illini</a> in the Sweet Sixteen made it clear that Clingan was worthy a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.</p><p>On a per 36 minute basis, Donovan Clingan has been one of the more productive big men in the league, ranking 3rd in rebounds per 36 minutes and trailing only Victor Wembanyama in blocks per 36 minutes. In eight games in which he’s played at least 20 minutes, Clingan has averaged 7.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Trail Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan gets real on defensive presence after win vs. Hornets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-is-donovan-clingan-playing-vs-spurs-latest-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Is Donovan Clingan playing vs. Spurs? Latest injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blazers-news-Is-Donovan-Clingan-playing-vs.-Spurs-Latest-injury-update.jpg"></figure><h1>Is Donovan Clingan playing vs. Spurs? Latest injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-13T09:59:23-08:00">December 13th, 9:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-13T09:59:23-08:00">December 13th, 9:59am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers (8-16) could be with their rookie center Donovan Clingan against the San Antonio Spurs (12-12) after <a href="https://official.nba.com/nba-injury-report-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">suffering an MCL injury</a>. Luckily for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-donovan-clingan-step-towards-return-injury">Blazers, Clingan took a big step in his return from injury</a>. He was recently cleared for on-court workouts and is considered day-to-day. Although Portland is a young team, having the No. 7 pick back in the lineup will be huge. Especially the fact that the Blazers are playing against center Victor Wembanyama. </p><p>His mix of shooting, versatility, and freakish 7’4 stature makes him a near-impossible guard. However, Clingan’s skill set is matched to combat that. His rim protection, physicality, and timing made him a standout with UConn basketball. Not to mention, he was one of the top players in the country heading into the NBA Draft. Furthermore, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-donovan-clingan-portland-feat-not-seen-since-bill-walton">Clingan accomplished a Blazers feat not seen since Bill Walton</a>.</p><p>He secured 16 consecutive games with a block, which broke Walton’s record of 15. Blocking shots isn’t for the faint of heart, either. It takes strength, timing, and defensive instincts. In 17 minutes this season, Clingan is averaging 2.2 blocks per game. For his 36-minute numbers, that’s 4.6 blocks per game, which would lead the league.</p><h2><b>Donovan Clingan’s injury status vs Spurs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Donovan-Clingan-with-the-ball.jpg"><figcaption>© Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Blazers will need Clingan’s rim protection against one of the top centers in the league. They’re currently on a four-game losing streak. Even with the plethora of injuries to Blazers players, Clingan’s potential return could have him in line for a big game. Although he’s started in only six games this season, that might be increased to seven for Friday’s contest. He can guard Wembanyama the most effectively, even for being a rookie.</p><p>Clingan spoke during a Tuesday media availability about <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/2024/12/10/24318276/portland-trail-blazers-donovan-clingan-nba-injury-news-scoot-henderson-chauncey-billups-wembanyama" rel="noopener">how he’s feeling in his recovery</a>.</p><p>“I’m feeling good,” Clingan said via BlazersEdge on SB Nation. “I put a lot of time into the rehab and recovery process, really just locking in and making sure I’m doing everything right and taking my time, not rushing anything. … I missed a lot. I’m the most antsy dude that you’ll meet, so sitting on the sideline is not fun, so I’m excited to be back out [there.]”</p><p>In a November game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he showed his true potential. He had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and an astounding eight blocks in that game. Not to mention, he played only 31 minutes in the win. The 20-year-old has gained the trust of teammates and head coach Chauncey Billups. As a result, he’s started the last five games and has been productive and efficient. The Blazers will need all they can get from Clingan if he’s good to suit up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Is Donovan Clingan playing vs. Spurs? Latest injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-donovan-clingan-step-towards-return-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Donovan Clingan takes big step towards return from injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blazers-news-Donovan-Clingan-takes-big-step-towards-return-from-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Donovan Clingan takes big step towards return from injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T12:56:24-08:00">December 10th, 12:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T12:56:24-08:00">December 10th, 12:56pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/trail-blazers-biggest-disappointment-early-2024-25-season">rough season for the Portland Trail Blazers</a> so far this year, as the team currently sits at 8-16 following Sunday evening’s road loss vs the Los Angeles Lakers. The team has already dealt with a vast amount of injuries so far this year and has also frequently found its name pop up on the trade rumor mill as opposing organizations speculate on whether or not they may be willing to part with some of their veteran players.</p><p>One of the injuries the Blazers have dealt with this year was to rookie big man Donovan Clingan, who has missed the last seven games with a left MCL sprain. However, recently, the team got <a href="https://x.com/highkin/status/1866562811565936673" rel="noopener">a positive update</a> about Clingan’s status moving forward.</p><p>“Blazers say Donovan Clingan has been cleared for on-court workouts and will be considered day-to-day moving forward,” reported Sean Highkin of rosegardenreport.com on X.</p><p>Clingan got off to a strong start to his rookie campaign after being drafted in the lottery out of UConn this past June. When everyone’s healthy (which is rare), head coach Chauncey Billups has had some interesting decisions to make as to how to split up minutes between Clingan, Deandre Ayton, and Robert Williams III, each of whom can really only play the center position and have different skillsets that they bring to the table.</p><p>Currently, Clingan is averaging 5.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, but his most impressive statistic is 2.2 blocks per game, as rim protection was indeed a big reason why the Blazers were willing to take a swing on him so high up in the draft.</p><p>In any case, up next for the Blazers is a home game against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, December 13 after four straight off days this week. That game is slated to tip off at 10:00 PM ET from Portland.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Donovan Clingan takes big step towards return from injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-donovan-clingan-update-a-bummer-amid-injury-woes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Donovan Clingan update a bummer amid injury woes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blazers-news-Donovan-Clingan-update-a-bummer-amid-injury-woes.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Donovan Clingan update a bummer amid injury woes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-27T06:49:17-08:00">November 27th, 6:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-27T06:49:17-08:00">November 27th, 6:49am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-jerami-grant-robert-williams-iii-exit-grizzlies-game-with-concerning-injuries">Portland Trail Blazers have been a historically injury-ravaged team</a>; their centers, in particular, have had a penchant for picking up serious injuries. This season alone, the Blazers’ frontcourt depth is already being tested, thrusting Donovan Clingan into the starting fray this early into his rookie campaign. But now, even Clingan is <a href="https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/portland-trail-blazers-injury-updates" rel="noopener">set to miss multiple weeks</a> after sustaining a Grade 2 MCL sprain, according to the official Blazers website.</p><p>Clingan picked up the injury during the Blazers’ 104-98 win over the Houston Rockets this past Saturday; the 20-year-old center still managed to play 29 minutes, finishing with zero points and 19 rebounds, before Portland took him out of the game presumably for matchup purposes. The concern was that Clingan had already picked up a knock to his knee earlier in that game but still returned to action, and now, that decision is going to force him out for at least the next two weeks, when he’ll be due for a re-evaluation.</p><p>Entering the 2024-25 season, center appeared to be the Blazers’ most secure position, at least in terms of depth. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-trail-blazers-trade-outlook-deandre-ayton-robert-williams-iii-update">Deandre Ayton was still the unquestioned starter</a>, but Clingan was expected to make a case to wrestle that starting spot away throughout the season, while Robert Williams III has always been an incredible per-minute producer.</p><p>But now, the Blazers’ top three options at the position are down with injuries. Clingan joins both Ayton and Williams on the mend, as the two veteran centers are dealing with a finger and head injury, respectively. The good news is that <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-11-27_09AM.pdf">Ayton appears to be on track</a> for a return soon, as he has been upgraded to questionable on the injury report prior to the Blazers’ Wednesday night matchup against the Indiana Pacers.</p><h2><b>The injury bug is biting the Blazers hard</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blazers-Donovan-Clingan-vs.-Jabari-Smith-Jr.jpg"></figure><p>In addition to all the center injury problems the Blazers are facing, they were also beset by some unfortunate news regarding the injury status of defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle. Thybulle, according to the team, sustained a Grade 2 ankle sprain during his ramp-up efforts, which will now force him to miss three-to-six weeks more of action.</p><p>The second overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, Scoot Henderson, is also dealing with a back injury, and the Blazers have already ruled him out in advance of their game against the Pacers. Jerami Grant is also on track to miss their game against the Pacers, as he’s currently listed as doubtful on the injury report.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Donovan Clingan update a bummer amid injury woes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-donovan-clingan-portland-feat-not-seen-since-bill-walton');   ga('set', 'title', 'Donovan Clingan accomplishes Blazers feat not seen since Bill Walton');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blazers-news-Donovan-Clingan-accomplishes-Portland-feat-not-seen-since-Bill-Walton.jpg"></figure><h1>Donovan Clingan accomplishes Blazers feat not seen since Bill Walton</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-23T16:09:58-08:00">November 23rd, 4:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-23T16:09:58-08:00">November 23rd, 4:09pm</time><address><a>Matt De Lima</a>Matt De Lima is an Associate Editor for NFL and college football at ClutchPoints. He has been covering sports for over 12 years at sites like Sports Illustrated, The Game Day, and countless others. Born and raised in California, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a diehard Hokies fan who now resides in southern Maryland.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers have a defensive disruptor on their hands with center Donovan Clingan. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-2024-nba-draft-grade-donovan-clingan">No. 7 overall pick</a> in the 2024 NBA Draft is already <a href="https://x.com/trailblazers/status/1860421507882664426" rel="noopener">making his impact felt</a>, per the Blazers’ social media.</p><p>“With two blocks in last night’s game, Donovan Clingan has recorded 16 consecutive games with a block this season, the longest streak by any Trail Blazers rookie. He passes Bill Walton (15), who held the record since his 1974-75 rookie season.”</p><p>Clingan nearly had a triple-double against the Minnesota Timberwolves last week. He had 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks. Victor Wembanyama accomplished the feat (a triple-double with 10+ blocks) for the first time in three seasons last February.</p><p>The Blazers fan base is calling the rookie “<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-rookie-donovan-clingans-block-party-has-fans-excited-for-cling-kong">Cling Kong</a>.”</p><h2><b>Blazers improved, but still a long way to go</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blazers-Donovan-Clingan-looking-to-pass.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In Brett Siegel’s latest ClutchPoints’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-power-rankings-24-25-week-4-rockets-warriors-turn-back-clocks">NBA Power Rankings</a>, he has the Blazers at No. 20, moving up five spots. That will probably be followed by a decline in next week’s edition.</p><p>“Over his last three games, Shaedon Sharpe is averaging 27.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the floor. Coincidentally enough, the Blazers are 3-0 in this span, recently picking up wins over the Timberwolves and Hawks. Sharpe may very well be the key to Portland unlocking their full potential on offense because of his athleticism and ability to push the pace on the wing.</p><p>“Alongside Sharpe, rookie big man Donovan Clingan has also made the most of his opportunities as one of the league’s best shot blockers, with Deandre Ayton missing some games due to injury. Like the Pistons, the Blazers are another young team to keep tabs on in the NBA power rankings.”</p><p>Backup PG Scott Henderson was involved in a car accident on Thursday. The accident <a href="https://x.com/highkin/status/1860399040820838833" rel="noopener">wasn’t serious</a>, per Blazers insider Sean Highkin.</p><p>“According to a league source, Scoot Henderson was involved in a minor accident in a ride share and was rear ended on Thursday afternoon while in Houston. He’s fine but will be out tonight with a back strain and considered day-to-day going forward.”</p><p>Head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-chauncey-billups-calls-out-soft-team-with-loser-take">Chauncey Billups isn’t happy</a> to settle for poor performance, highlighted by his incendiary comments after a recent 45-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>“It was just f*****g embarrassing, to be honest with you,” Billups said. “We were soft as hell the whole game. Nobody really fought. It was just embarrassing for everybody. That’s just not who we are. There’s no excuse for that. You have a lot of rough nights in this league, obviously. But I don’t even care. This wasn’t even that. Guys showed up because they had to be here, but they didn’t want to play. They didn’t want to actually work. That’s embarrassing.</p><p>“It’s unfortunate that we had to go out there in front of our fans that paid their hard-earned money to come see their favorite team play. And you show up and do that.”</p><p>The Blazers will face the Rockets on Saturday night in Houston. They lost to Houston on Friday night, 116-88.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Donovan Clingan accomplishes Blazers feat not seen since Bill Walton

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-rookie-donovan-clingans-block-party-has-fans-excited-for-cling-kong');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan’s block party has fans excited for ‘Cling Kong’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Donovan-Clingans-block-party-has-fans-excited-for-Cling-Kong.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan’s block party has fans excited for ‘Cling Kong’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-14T10:33:33-08:00">November 14th, 10:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-14T10:33:33-08:00">November 14th, 10:33am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The early returns on rookie center Donovan Clingan for the Portland Trail Blazers have been great, and he put together a complete effort in the 106-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, scoring 17 points with 12 rebounds and a staggering count of eight blocks. The eight blocks <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1857089737162473774" rel="noopener">stick out the most</a>, and it is a continuation of what he did in two seasons at UConn.</p><p>https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1857089737162473774</p><p>Donovan Clingan has not gotten a ton of playing time <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-chauncey-billups-calls-out-soft-team-with-loser-take">with the Blazers</a> due to the presence of Deandre Ayton. However, it is viewed that in the long-term, Deandre Ayton will depart in some kind of trade to a contender, and Clingan will take over as the starting center long-term. After the performance against the Timberwolves, blocking players like Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, fans are understandably optimistic about Clingan’s future <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-exits-vs-timberwolves-with-chest-injury">with the Blazers</a>.</p><p>https://twitter.com/TorresOnUConn/status/1856933441503391939</p><p>https://twitter.com/andrewtheen/status/1856925266846552457</p><p>https://twitter.com/CaptCaineghis/status/1857027904791597139</p><p>Clingan’s game was also historic, putting him in some exclusive company, providing optimism that he could be a staple for the franchise. The <a href="https://x.com/tomhaberstroh/status/1856929814675906977" rel="noopener">last two rookies to have</a> at least 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks in a game were Victor Wembanyama and Tim Duncan, according @tomhaberstroh on X, formerly known as Twitter.</p><h2><b>Blazers’ plan and outlook with Donovan Clingan</b></h2><p>The value of the traditional center has gone down in the NBA as of late, but Clingan’s strengths are still valued. He shut down the paint in college with blocked shots and overall just dissuading teams from attempting shots in close. That is still valuable in today’s NBA, and you saw that against the Timberwolves. He is also a strong weapon as a roller and lob threat, as well as in transition. Clingan has also worked on an outside shot since his days at UConn, and he has pulled it out a little bit in the NBA so far. If that is a viable weapon for him at the NBA level, the Blazers might have a franchise cornerstone on their hands.</p><p>The Blazers have been bringing Clingan up to speed conditioning wise throughout the season. there is a set plan, and he will likely get an increasingly large role as his season and career goes on. It will be interesting to see if and when Ayton does get moved, opening up the starting role for Clingan. The Blazers are still in a building mode, and getting it right with Clingan is a big priority. Hopefully, he will continue to show flashes of what he did against the Timberwolves throughout the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan’s block party has fans excited for ‘Cling Kong’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-donovan-clingan-makes-first-nba-bucket-powerful-move-warriors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Donovan Clingan makes first NBA bucket with powerful move vs. Warriors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Blazers-news-Donovan-Clingan-makes-first-NBA-bucket-with-powerful-move-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Donovan Clingan makes first NBA bucket with powerful move vs. Warriors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-23T20:58:47-07:00">October 23rd, 8:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-23T20:59:15-07:00">October 23rd, 8:59pm</time><address><a>Derek Hryn</a>Derek Hryn is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints specializing in NFL and NCAA Football coverage. Derek was previously a fantasy football expert at DK and SB Nation, and he has been featured at FanSided, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-vs-trail-blazers-prediction-odds-pick-10-23-2024">Portland Trail Blazers faced off</a> against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and fans were excited to see Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1849281991788700153" rel="noopener">score for the first time</a> and make several more good plays.</p><p>Clingan, the No. 7 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, wasted no time coming off the bench and making his mark of the matchup. When Clingan checked in with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter for Deandre Ayton, the game clock ran down to 29 seconds when Clingan scored off a Kris Murray drive-and-dish under the basket.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Donovan Clingan gets to the rim for his first NBA bucket 😤<a href="https://t.co/NWSlPd9myz">pic.twitter.com/NWSlPd9myz</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1849281991788700153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p> </p><h2><b>Donovan Clingan shows two-way skill set in NBA debut</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Chauncey-Billups.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Head coach Chauncey Billups is going to need to keep giving Clingan some looks each night so he keeps progressing as the future center of the franchise. The seven-foot big man is off to a tremendous start after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/predicting-blazers-record-after-2024-25-season-schedule-release" rel="noopener">what he showed</a> during Wednesday’s game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Donovan Clingan protecting the paint ❌</p><p>No. 7 pick swats it away for his first career block on NBA League Pass!</p><p>📲 <a href="https://t.co/6vInCJoUQh">https://t.co/6vInCJoUQh</a> <a href="https://t.co/Yd4BukIPhr">pic.twitter.com/Yd4BukIPhr</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1849283590158266785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/predicting-blazers-record-after-2024-25-season-schedule-release">Blazers have a streak of winnable games</a> ahead on the schedule, as they appeared outmatched for most of their 2024-25 season debut against the Warriors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
8.4	9.1	1.9	1.3	0.7

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
8.4	9.1	1.9	1.3	0.7

Donovan Clingan news

Donovan
Clingan news