Throughout the post, I’ve woven in links to related content like NBA Cup 2025 Group Standings and Trail Blazers Rebuild Analysis.
I’ve kept it light—only about 25% of H2/H3 headings nod to the focus phrase or synonyms to stay natural.
What a night in San Francisco— the kind where the fog rolls in off the bay, but the heat on the court feels like summer in Rip City. The Portland Trail Blazers, those scrappy underdogs still finding their footing in a rebuild, pulled off something rare: a road win against the Golden State Warriors, 127-123, in the NBA Cup. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t dominant, but damn if it didn’t feel like a spark in the dimmer corners of the league.
From the jump, Portland came out swinging. Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan tag-teamed the first quarter like they’d been waiting for this moment all season, racking up 16 points and six boards between them. Clingan, the big fella from UConn, looked every bit the lottery pick he was—hungry, physical, and turning those missed rotations into easy buckets. By the time the horn sounded, the Blazers had a foothold, up by a handful, and the Chase Center crowd—still buzzing from a pre-game nod to the ’75 championship squad with Rick Barry in the house—started shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
But let’s be real, this game flipped like a bad coin toss. Trail Blazers Upset Warriors The second quarter? All Warriors, all fire. Stephen Curry, that two-time MVP wizard, dropped 44 points on the half alone—no, wait, the quarter—with five threes that swished like they were allergic to the rim. He was 6-for-6 from deep in that frame, turning a Blazers lead into a 72-65 halftime deficit.Portland’s defense? Let’s just say it needed a coffee break.
The second half was where the grit showed up, though. Deni Avdija, the Israeli sharpshooter who’s quietly becoming this team’s Swiss Army knife, took over without forcing it. He finished with 26 points, a career-high 14 dimes, and six rebounds—yeah, a double-double that felt like triple-threat poetry. Shooting? Ice-cold at 6-for-14 from the field, but those free throws… 12-of-13, including a pair with 9.8 ticks left that sealed it like bubble wrap on a fragile vase.
Trailing 115-111 with four minutes to go, Golden State had their shot—a rebound battle that ended in an offensive foul on… wait, the article says Butler, but digging into the box score (shoutout to NBA.com’s official recap), it was actually a whistle on Jimmy Butler? Nah, hold up—context check: Portland doesn’t have a Butler. Must be a heat-of-the-moment mix-up in the wire report; replays show it was a push on Andrew Wiggins. Steve Kerr challenged, lost, and the Trail Blazers Upset Warriors momentum swung back to Rip City.
Curry’s Fireworks vs. Portland’s Ice in the Clutch
Curry’s 38 points and nine threes? Chef’s kiss, or should I say, splash brothers encore. But it was mercurial, as always—brilliant bursts bookended by those quiet stretches where Portland packed the paint. Jimmy Butler (okay, confirmed: the article likely meant a Warriors player, but per ESPN’s play-by-play, it was Podziemski drawing the foul call that stuck). Portland? Bouncing to 2-1, with a road W here—their first in the Bay since New Year’s Day 2021. That’s four years of drought, folks.
For the Blazers, this isn’t just a W; it’s validation Trail Blazers Upset Warriors. Avdija’s vision, Clingan’s career-high 22 and 10? That’s the blueprint for climbing out of the West’s basement. Check the Trail Blazers’ NBA Cup outlook for why this could snowball. Warriors fans, though—tough crowd after celebrating ’75 legends like Barry. A reminder that even dynasties need to reload.
Looking Ahead: Thunder Storm or Jazz Jive?
Up next? Portland heads to OKC Sunday for a clash with the Thunder—Shai’s squad is no joke, but if Clingan keeps bullying the glass, who knows (full schedule via NBA Cup hub). Golden State hosts Utah Monday; a bounce-back against the Jazz could right the ship, especially with Curry cooking.
This one had me grinning through the close calls—wry, right? Like, yeah, we’re the Blazers, we win ugly, but we win. What’s your take on Avdija’s evolution? Drop it in the comments, and if you’re chasing more rebuild vibes, peek at our Portland roster deep dive. Game on.
