Portland Trail Blazers Shocked the basketball world They won 106-105 against James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The game saw excellent performances from many players. But one of the most heartwarming achievements came from French shooting guard Rayan Rupert.

Rupert came off the bench for eight minutes and scored seven points and one rebound. After the game, he was incredibly grateful to be able to play with everyone on the team.

“I’m very happy,” said Rupert. Johnny Askounis from EuroHoops.net. “They always have my back. Even when I’m not playing as much, they’re always pushing me. I’m just trying to stay ready. I love these guys.”

But the love on the pitch wasn’t just on Rupert’s side. On the Clippers, Rupert was facing fellow Frenchman and former Trail Blazer power forward Nicolas Batum.

“He’s like a big brother to me,” Rupert said. “It’s always nice to play against him.”

Batum came off the bench and recorded 5 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in 13 minutes. He was an integral part of France’s silver medal teams at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.

The Trail Blazers’ victory came as a shock to everyone and brought their win-loss record to 2-3 at the start of the 2024 NBA Season. This was largely due to the remarkable performance of several actors.

Deandre Ayton recorded his fifth consecutive double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. He also recorded one assist, one steal and one block.

Meanwhile, guard Anfernee Simons was the Trail Blazers’ leading scorer with 25 points on 10-for-24 shooting. He also had 6 assists and 2 rebounds.

Point guard Scoot Henderson also had a great game, coming off the bench to record 14 points, six assists, three total rebounds and one steal.

While the Clippers saw excellent performances from their two stars, the rest of the team did not step up to help them in the long run.

Shooting guard Norman Powell scored a game-high 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting. He also recorded a total of five rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Former MVP James Harden also had an excellent game, recording 19 points, 10 assists, five total rebounds and three steals.

However, only one player reached double digits. Compare that to Portland, where half of their players who saw playing time scored over 10 points.

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