Defense, Donovan Clingan power Trail Blazers past Boston Celtics

There was clutch fourth-quarter defense, inspiring two-way play from Toumani Camara and another stat-stuffing performance by Deni Avdija.

But perhaps no one or no thing meant more to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday than Donovan Clingan.

The starting center’s combination of defense, emotion and dominance powered the Blazers to a 114-108 win over the Boston Celtics before 17,949 at the Moda Center.

“I think he was our best defensive player,” Blazers acting coach Tiago Splitter said of Clingan. “Just his presence, reading every situation, talking, leading. He was a big part of our win.”

Clingan finished with 18 points and 18 rebounds, recording his ninth double-double of the season, as the Blazers (13-19) ended a three-game losing streak. He was suffocating early, producing 11 points and eight rebounds in the first quarter. He was clutch late, adding five points and six rebounds in the fourth. And he was a mountain of energy and intensity throughout.

He stared down Celtics players after monster two-handed dunks. He came oh-so-close to drawing a technical foul in the second half, when he towered over a Boston player after finishing a dunk. And he punctuated big shots with screams to the rafters and raised arms.

The Blazers seemed to feed off his energy and emotion, riding it all the way a much-needed win.

“He’s one of those dudes that scores (and) looks at the opponent,” Splitter said. “He tries to bring some juice every time he (has) a good play or a block or something like that, just to pass (it along) to the rest of the guys, the energy, the belief that he has. He’s very important for our defense, for our offense, for the whole locker room’s energy. He’s one of those guys.”

Of course, it took more than Clingan for the shorthanded Blazers to topple the Celtics (19-12).

Camara finished with 20 points, made four of five three-pointers in the second half and played imposing defense. Avdija overcame a shaky first half that included five turnovers to produce 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Shaedon Sharpe added 26 points and five rebounds and Caleb Love scored 18 points off the bench, which included 10 crucial points in the fourth quarter.

Boston had control for most of the first half and built a 10-point lead in the third quarter, thanks in large part to a breathtaking performance by Jaylen Brown, who torched the Blazers with 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting before halftime.

But Splitter tweaked his defense to feature a swarm of double teams and blitzes at the Celtics’ All-Star forward, and it helped fuel a second-half turnaround.

Portland opened the third quarter by outscoring Boston 12-2 and Brown managed just 10 points on 3-for-8 shooting after halftime.

Still, like most of the Blazers’ games this season, the outcome came down to clutch time. And this time, the Blazers’ defense was the difference.

Portland held Boston to three points over the final two minutes, 41 seconds of the game, allowing just one field goal — a Derrick White three-pointer with 43.0 seconds left. Otherwise, the Blazers’ defense was stifling, forcing two missed shots and four turnovers, including two on the Celtics’ final two possessions of the game. The Celtics scored just 45 points in the second half, including 23 in the pivotal fourth quarter.

“I think Sidy (Cissoko) brought energy,” Splitter said. “Toumani always (does). D.C. was protecting the rim, his rebounding was huge. But as a group, the energy was there. We were fighting every screen. They have great players that can shoot the ball. They’re one of the best shooting teams in the league. So (we) had to fight all those screens, getting over or under, and (we) did a good job navigating those positions.”

Top performers

Avdija finished with 20 or more points for the 26th time this season and recorded double-digits in assists for the fifth time this season.

Brown finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Celtics, who had won four in a row and nine of 11.

A pair of reunions

Anfernee Simons returned to the Moda Center for the first time as a visitor, finishing with 13 points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist in 19 minutes.

Simons, who spent his first seven seasons with the Blazers, was traded to the Celtics in the offseason in a move that brought Jrue Holiday to Portland. Simons came off the bench for Boston on Sunday and swished his first shot — a three — 17 seconds later. But his shot was mostly cold the rest of the night as Simons made just 4 of 11 field goals, including 2 of 6 threes.

Meanwhile, Payton Pritchard, who went to West Linn High School and played for the Oregon Ducks, recorded nine points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals in 38 minutes.

Meanwhile, Payton Pritchard, who went to West Linn High School and played for the Oregon Ducks, recorded nine points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals in 38 minutes.

Next up

The Blazers host the Dallas Mavericks and No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg Monday night at 7:30 at the Moda Center.