Brook Lopez has turned a difficult Los Angeles Clippers season into must-watch basketball on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers needed life and Lopez supplied it with a shooting burst that lifted the entire night. He has drilled his ninth three-pointer, a new career high, and is 9-of-13 from deep so far, sending a ripple through the Portland crowd. Teammates keep finding him. The net keeps snapping. ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly reported the milestone in real time, matching the shock and excitement in the arena.
This has been a season of strain. Coming into the game, the Clippers were 8–21 and 13th in the West. Along the way, close games slipped away. Meanwhile, injuries mounted. As a result, confidence dipped. Even so, Lopez kept his poise and his touch. He has shot 36.7% from deep this season, and tonight, once again, he is showing why that number matters. With every make, he delivers a jolt for a team that badly needed one. This doesn’t erase everything. Still, it feels like relief, right when the group needed air.
What this night could unlock for the Clippers
The performance tells its own story. From there, Brook Lopez became the focal point, stretching the Blazers’ defense and opening lanes for the Clippers. In turn, the bench engaged. Suddenly, possessions felt crisp. The Clippers season has searched for confidence, and tonight, this outburst delivered it in real time.
Looking ahead, what happens next matters. Can this spark carry past one hot shooting night? Can this team, in a tough spot, build momentum from a performance that feels this loud? Lopez’s shooting barrage will travel with them long after the lights fade in Portland. And now one question hangs over the next stretch of the schedule: how far can this confidence carry the Clippers from here?