Donovan Klingan faces off against his former mentor Deandre Ayton

Perfectly served in the backdoor by Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia thought he could get to the circle. But the Lakers hit a wall: Donovan Clingan. This authoritarian counter from the first minute of the game between Lakers and Blazers heralded a good night to come for pivot Portland.

« Quiet, Donovan was great tonight. He protected the circle. He grabbed seven offensive rebounds. He gave us many second chances, A total of 14 jumps. He was great », qualifies his coach Tiago Splitter who, like Chauncey Billups, trusted the 21-year-old inside for his starting five.

« Without DC, we would be a very different team. We have a lot of confidence in him, even though he is still very young. His ability to protect the rim and his competitive mindset are, I think, essential, and that’s what I really like about his game », greets his teammate Toumani Camara.

Against the Lakers, Donovan Klingan didn’t just protect the rim with his 2 blocks. With his very sure and reactive hands, he missed almost nothing from below the circle and finished with 16 points (8/12 shooting) – missing all three of his 3-point attempts – along with 14 rebounds. It was his first double-double of the year and his best game of the season so far.

Ayton helped him a lot

No doubt he was motivated by his opponent of the night, Deandre Ayton, who scored 16 points (8/15 shooting) and 8 rebounds. A man who was a mainstay in the rotation last year during his rookie season and who he replaced in the Blazers’ top five when Ayton got hurt.

« I love YES. He helped me a lot during the first season to adapt to this game. I have a lot of respect and affection for him. It was great to be able to play against him tonight “, says Donovan Klingan, a 37-time starter last year and well on his way to remaining in the current five until the end of the season.

« He has a huge impact on our team, but he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. The way he protects the racket, the way he controlled the paint and attacked Ayton. He did it on offense, he went for offensive rebounds. And defensively, we know Ayton can get his shots in, but when it comes to finishing near the rim, I really felt like Cling had it completely locked down. “, congratulates Jrue Holiday.

The two pivots will meet again very soon, on Nov. 3, before the regular season finale in January.

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