Defeat in NBA Summer League: Clingan's Record Performance Not Enough - Sports

The Portland Trail Blazers faced off against the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Summer League , with a disappointing outcome of an 84 - 68 loss . The Blazers and Hornets were both vying for a spot in the Summer League Playoffs , making the game an important one for both teams.

 Donovan Clingan , the 7th overall pick in this years draft , was determined to record his first double - digit scoring game this Summer . Starting off the game with back - to - back dunks went a long way to helping him achieve that goal.

The Blazers struggled offensively throughout the game , with turnovers and missed shots plaguing their performance . However , a motivational moment came when a young fan shouted , " Stop shooting threes ! " from the stands , prompting the team to finally connect on their first long - distance shot after missing their first 16 attempts beyond the arc.

Despite some improvement in scoring in the second quarter , the Blazers continued to struggle with their long - range shooting , finishing the game shooting just 14 % from three - point range . This poor shooting performance contributed to the team falling behind by more than 20 points in the second half.

 The bright spot for the Blazers was Clingan , who put up an impressive performance on both ends of the court . He recorded 11 points , 9 rebounds , and 5 blocks in the first half alone . Clingan 's defensive presence was felt throughout the game , as he altered shots around the rim and made key plays to keep the Blazers in contention.

While Clingan 's performance was noteworthy , other key players like Rayan Rupert and Kris Murray struggled to make an impact on the game . The lack of a playmaking guard on the roster made it challenging for these players to create scoring opportunities for themselves.

In the end , despite valuable playing time for Rupert , Murray , and Justin Minaya , the Blazers failed to show significant improvement in their performance . The team will have one final game in Las Vegas to wrap up their time in the NBA Summer League , with the opponent and time of the game yet to be determined.

Overall , the Blazers will look to learn from their experiences in the Summer League and work on addressing their offensive struggles as they prepare for the upcoming NBA season . Clingan 's standout performance may be a bright spot for the team to build upon , but improvements will be needed across the board for the Blazers to find success moving forward.