3 Takeaways from Blazers' Upset Victory Over Clippers on Wednesday

Anfernee Simons led the way for Portland.

Oct 30, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) drives past Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers stole a surprising 106-105 victory over the banged-up Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome.

Here are our takeaways:

1. "DominAyton" Showed Up Early This Year... While His Backup Made A Case For More Minutes

Starting Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton, the team's most expensive player, scored 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor (1-of-3 from deep), pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds, blocked a shot, swiped a steal and passed for one assist.

Rookie center Donovan Clingan, the No. 7 pick out of the University of Connecticut this summer, played just 11:08, but scored an encouraging seven points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor (including 1-of-1 shooting from beyond the 3-point line), grabbed six boards, blocked a shot and swiped a steal, while posting an encouraging +9 plus-minus (compared to a -7 for Ayton). Those numbers are nothing to sneeze at in limited run. Third-string center Duop Reath, who had an appetizing rookie run last year thanks in part to injuries to Ayton and Robert Williams III (Williams is hurt again, unsurprisingly), has completely fallen out of head coach Chauncey Billups' rotation.

2. Deni Avdija Continued to Show Off His Surprising Versatility

Avdija, acquired in the team's trade of former Sixth Man of the Year point guard Malcolm Brogdon and some major draft equity this summer, helped Portland secure a last-second victory with... his defense. Avidja rejected a Norman Powell shot attempt with 29 seconds left in regulation. The Trail Blazers held on to win. Avdija finished with a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double across 29 minutes of action, while also dishing out two dimes, two rejections, and one steal.

Touted as an intriguingly multifaceted forward upon arrival, the 6-foot-9 former lottery pick has exhibited tantalizing upside early on in Portland with his acumen as a distributor and his defensive length.

3. Anfernee Simons Is Thriving As Portland's Starting Point Guard

The 25-year-old is currently averaging 20.6 points on a .388/.310/.923 slash line, 5.0 assists and 1.6 rebounds across his first five games this season. After an erratic rookie season, Scoot Henderson has now been officially demoted to a permanent sixth man role, while Billups has prioritized size and length in his first five in the absence of injured shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe. 6-foot-8 swingman Toumani Camara is the club's starting small forward, while the 6-foot-9 Avdija is its current starting shooting guard.

Against the Clippers, Simons notched a game-high 25 points on 10-of-24 shooting from the floor (3-of-9 from deep) and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, six assists and two rebounds.

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