Game Thread 2025-26 GAME #46 - BLAZERS VS RAPTORS - JANUARY 23, 2026 - FRIDAY - 7:00 PM - KUNP - BLAZERVISION (1 Viewer)

[KingSpeed]

You guys do realize Toronto is a better team than Portland, right?

I was about to type the same thing.

 

[KingSpeed]

Nah. Certainly not on the road. All those gimme wins vs tanking eastern teams doesn’t make you good. We played horribly and still had the lead in the fourth.

If you watched the game closely, Toronto outplayed us start to finish. Their defense and overall hustle was great.

 

[KingSpeed]

When I saw Blazers last week, best lineup was RW/Duop/Rupert/Caleb/Jerami. They could defend and make shots. Can’t win a game if we don’t have RW or Duop. And if you don’t have those guys, you really better have Murray.

 

[PCmor7]

POR could use a very athletic, quick big that isnt stuck in drop coverage like DC. Some nights DC just doesnt match up well.

Was that really the issue last night, though?

Donovan was scratch at plus/minus. He finished even. He had 13 points, 16 rebounds, three steals and two assists.

The problem was that he was 6-for-14. He missed numerous layups before Tiago got on him coming off the court and they tossed him a couple of lobs and then he realized he was being guarded by midgets compared to him and needed to dunk everything at the rim. He missed four shots inside 4 feet in his first nine minutes. Three of those misses were rebounded by Toronto.

If he flushes those, he's at or close to a 20-16 game and he's +6.

I'd say he matched up very well. He isn't just playing the defensive side of the court the whole game. The other team has to guard him half the time, too.

 

[Chris Craig]

Was that really the issue last night, though?

Donovan was scratch at plus/minus. He finished even. He had 13 points, 16 rebounds, three steals and two assists.

The problem was that he was 6-for-14. He missed numerous layups before Tiago got on him coming off the court and they tossed him a couple of lobs and then he realized he was being guarded by midgets compared to him and needed to dunk everything at the rim. He missed four shots inside 4 feet in his first nine minutes. Three of those misses were rebounded by Toronto.

If he flushes those, he's at or close to a 20-16 game and he's +6.

I'd say he matched up very well. He isn't just playing the defensive side of the court the whole game. The other team has to guard him half the time, too.

He looked pretty bad in the second half. He was too slow. He was getting out rebounded and outworked by shorter guys. He wasn't using his size inside. He wasn't getting out to the perimeter to guard. It totally hurt us.

But, that game was not on him alone, not at all. Grant looked terrible. Did a lot of watching on defense. Couldn't keep control of the ball or get up good shots.

Everyone was shooting terribly. Everyone was a step off at least on defense. Sidy air balled a free throw. It was just an ugly night. Not having RW really hurt. He needs to get healthy enough to play more than every other game or we need to get a capable back up center who can.

 

[PCmor7]

He looked pretty bad in the second half. He was too slow. He was getting out rebounded and outworked by shorter guys. He wasn't using his size inside. He wasn't getting out to the perimeter to guard. It totally hurt us.

But, that game was not on him alone, not at all. Grant looked terrible. Did a lot of watching on defense. Couldn't keep control of the ball or get up good shots.

Everyone was shooting terribly. Everyone was a step off at least on defense. Sidy air balled a free throw. It was just an ugly night. Not having RW really hurt. He needs to get healthy enough to play more than every other game or we need to get a capable back up center who can.

Despite what it looked like, and we've both said everyone on the Blazers had bad games, the stats just don't support that Clingan's lack of quickness was the or one of the overriding factors in the loss. He was the leading rebounder in the game in both halves and the guy with the next most had seven fewer in seven more minutes of playing time.

The Raptors were only 9-for-29 from 3.

Clingan had the most steals for either team.

Clingan was above his average in both scoring, rebounding, steals and assists.

He shot 11% lower than his season average (and career average), though, and missed four shots within the restricted area on three possessions in which the Blazers did not score. If he or a teammate finishes those three possessions, the Blazers go into the locker room by 1. If he or a teammate finishes those three possessions and Shaedon blocks out the last second of the first half, the Blazers go into the locker room up 1.

The only thing Clingan didn't do last night that he usually does is convert within four feet of the hoop. He wasn't able to fully offset any disadvantage he faced at the defensive end by pressing his advantage at the offensive end, and no other Blazer was able to pick up for that, because the only Blazer that shot his season FG% was Jrue. But that's an offensive efficiency/conversion issue, not a defensive matchup issue.