Donovan Clingan's Career Scoring Night Comes With Learning Experience Guarding Nikola Jokic

📍DENVER — Donovan Clingan on Monday had the best offensive night of his young NBA career, scoring 21 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting for the Trail Blazers, even knocking down a three-pointer.

He also had to guard Nikola Jokic. Chauncey Billups thought he did well with the toughest assignment in the NBA, but Jokic still finished with a casual 40 points on 15-of-22 shooting in 30 minutes in a Nuggets blowout win.

And with injuries on this road trip to Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III, Clingan may have to do even more in Wednesday’s rematch.

“I think I played alright,” Clingan said. “I ran the floor pretty well, rebounded pretty well. I wish I’d set better screens to get my guards open. But I like to win. It hurts to lose.”

That Clingan was willing to admit that he played well in a loss is a sign of growth. After his Summer League debut in Las Vegas in July, he said he didn’t like anything about the way he played, despite playing well in a loss.

The caliber of competition is a little bit different now than it was then, and Clingan’s offense looked better than it has in weeks.

“I loved it,” Billups said. “He was aggressive, I thought defensively he did a pretty good job in a nightmare matchup. He finished very well, I thought he passed it pretty well. It was a good game for D.C.”

Clingan’s playing time has come and gone in his rookie season as he’s battled through injuries and the conditioning adjustment that comes with someone his size getting acclimated to the NBA. Playing in the Denver altitude doesn’t make anything easier. Neither does guarding the most unguardable player in the league.

“He can do everything,” Clingan said of Jokic. “He’s a point guard, he comes off ball screens, shoots threes, gets to the rim, back to the basket, just does a little bit of everything.”

“There’s just so much that comes with [guarding Jokic],” Billups said. “Fives don’t usually run pick-and-roll as the ballhandler. It’s a tall order, when they’re used to playing on the other side of it. I thought he did a good job, and then you look down and Joker [has] 40 and 7 in three quarters.”

The Blazers may be shorthanded for the rematch on Wednesday. Williams exited Monday’s loss in Minnesota with a knee injury and didn’t play Monday; Ayton left Monday with a calf injury. If neither of them can play Wednesday, Clingan will likely start, which means even more time on Jokic.

“This is a part of young guys’ development,” Billups said. “It’s how I grew up in the league. You’ve got to know what that feels like to guard the best player in the league, sometimes without help. You need to see what that feels like if you’re going to be a dominant player in the league. These are the tough lessons you need to learn. While they are maybe painful, he’ll remember it. And then get to do it again on Wednesday.”