Blazers Bounce Back in Brooklyn, Cruise Past Nets 114-95

The Nets couldn’t stop the bleeding. Brooklyn shot a miserable 30% from the field and a jaw-dropping 14.3% from three-point range in the first half. Those numbers tell you everything you need to know. When you’re bricking open looks at that rate, you’re just running through the motions.

By halftime, the Blazers had stretched their lead to 65-41. The game was effectively over at intermission.

Avdija and Camara Carry the Offensive Load

Deni Avdija was the engine of this Portland offense. The Israeli forward finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, orchestrating the Blazers’ attack with a fluency that made Brooklyn’s defenders look helpless. He didn’t force anything. He didn’t need to. Avdija just played his game and let the moments come to him.

Toumani Camara matched him step for step, also dropping 18 points while providing the kind of relentless energy that gives coaches gray hairs — in a good way. Camara crashed the glass, attacked the basket, and made winning plays all night long.

Then there was Donovan Clingan. The big man posted 14 points and 11 rebounds, doing the dirty work inside that doesn’t always show up in the highlights but absolutely shows up in the final score. Portland needed his presence in the paint, and he delivered.

Scoot Henderson Shines Off the Bench

Reserve guard Scoot Henderson gave the Blazers a genuine spark off the bench, finishing with 16 points on efficient shooting. There’s real belief building around Henderson, and nights like this one are exactly why. He plays with pace, purpose, and no shortage of confidence — qualities that tend to age well in this league.

Kris Murray quietly added 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, and Jrue Holiday distributed the ball beautifully, racking up 9 rebounds and 5 assists.

A Struggling Nets Team Has Bigger Problems

For Brooklyn, this one stings — but perhaps not for the reasons you’d expect. The Nets have now lost 14 of their last 16 games, and Monday’s effort was their 11th wire-to-wire loss of the season, the worst mark in the league. They’ve been down by 30 or more points 11 times this season — the worst such figure since 1996.

Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. sat out his third straight game with an ankle injury, and Noah Clowney was held out for rest. Those absences matter, but the Nets’ shooting woes go beyond personnel. You simply cannot win basketball games by connecting on fewer than one in seven three-point attempts.

Nic Claxton did what he could, posting 12 points and 10 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season and 87th of his career, passing Sam Bowie for eighth-most in franchise history. Rookie Ben Saraf had a moment, setting a career-high with 15 points to go along with four assists and four steals.

What This Win Means for Portland

The Blazers, now 33-36, sit just a half-game behind the Golden State Warriors for the ninth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. This five-game road trip started on a sour note in Philadelphia, but Monday’s effort proved Portland has the character to respond when things get hard.

Portland shot 51% from the field and 42% from three. They moved the ball, shared it (30 assists as a team), and got contributions up and down the roster. That’s a winning formula.

The Blazers left Brooklyn with a W.