PORTLAND, Ore. — The Los Angeles Clippers entered Friday night’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers battered, bruised, and with expectations about as low as they come. After a rocky 9-21 start to their season, including a near-constant rotation of injuries and a seemingly endless string of setbacks, the Clippers were widely written off as a team just trying to survive. But what unfolded at the Moda Center on December 26, 2025, was a dazzling display of resilience, long-range shooting, and a historic performance from a veteran center who, until recently, had been almost an afterthought in the team’s plans.
Brook Lopez, thrust into a starting role due to Ivica Zubac’s Grade 2 ankle sprain, turned back the clock and delivered a night for the ages. The 36-year-old big man erupted for a career-high nine three-pointers and 31 points, powering a furious Clippers rally that left the Trail Blazers stunned and searching for answers. “Making those 9 3s tonight. It’s been a big emphasis for us, is just getting up more 3s, making more 3s, and he helped us out tonight with that,” Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said postgame, clearly delighted with his teammate’s unexpected outburst.
For Lopez, the night was nothing short of historic. Not only did he become just the third player in NBA history to make nine three-pointers in a game after turning 37—joining the likes of Steph Curry and LeBron James—but he also became the X-factor the Clippers desperately needed. Blazers forward Deni Avdija summed up the collective frustration of Portland’s defense: “Annoying. He was their X-factor tonight for sure.”
Lopez’s hot hand was apparent from the opening tip. He scored eight of the Clippers’ first 10 points and notched 19 in the first half alone, keeping Los Angeles within striking distance as Portland built what felt like a comfortable lead. The Blazers, led by Avdija’s 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, and buoyed by Toumani Camara’s defense and Shaedon Sharpe’s athleticism, controlled the game for the better part of two quarters. At one point, Portland held a 12-point advantage, their largest of the night, and looked poised to cruise to an easy victory.
But the Clippers, led by their veteran trio of Leonard, James Harden, and Lopez, were not about to go quietly. Down 71-59 with just over eight minutes left in the third quarter after a Donovan Clingan free throw, Los Angeles flipped a switch. What followed was a 19-1 avalanche, capped by Lopez’s seventh, eighth, and ninth three-pointers. His eighth triple gave the Clippers their first lead of the game at 75-72, and his ninth extended the margin to 78-72. Harden then drilled a four-point play, and the Clippers closed the third quarter on a 23-6 run, leaving the Blazers reeling and the Moda Center crowd in stunned silence.
“We just kept at it,” Leonard explained. “We locked in defensively and started moving the ball, and Brook got hot. That changed everything.” Harden echoed those sentiments, saying, “Once we started hitting shots and getting stops, the energy flipped. We fed off each other.”
By the time the dust settled, the Clippers had outscored Portland 63-41 in the second half and 26-7 over the final 8:16 of the third quarter. Leonard poured in 18 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, including a thunderous dunk over Clingan that seemed to sap whatever fight the Blazers had left. Harden, meanwhile, finished with 34 points and six assists, orchestrating the offense with his usual flair and precision. The trio of Harden, Leonard, and Lopez made NBA history as the first set of teammates aged 34 or older to each score 25 or more points in the same game, according to OptaStats.
For all the fireworks, the Clippers’ win was about more than just one hot shooting night. It marked their first three-game winning streak of the season and the first time since opening week that they had come back from a double-digit deficit. The team also hit 20 three-pointers for the second straight game, a feat they hadn’t accomplished in their first 28 contests. “It’s been a struggle, but we’re starting to find our rhythm,” Harden noted. “We know we dug ourselves a hole, but we’re not out of it yet.”
On the Blazers’ side, the loss was a gut punch. Portland dropped their third straight game, falling to 12-19 on the year. Avdija’s near triple-double and Camara’s 20-point effort weren’t enough to overcome a second-half collapse that saw their defense shredded and their offense sputter at the worst possible time. Acting head coach Tiago Splitter, filling in for the absent Chauncey Billups, was hit with a technical foul during the Clippers’ rally, symbolizing the frustration that boiled over as the game slipped away.
Despite the setback, Avdija remained defiant. “We’re not going to back off,” he said. “It’s a tough stretch, but we’ll keep fighting.” The Blazers will try to regroup quickly as they prepare to host the Boston Celtics on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at the Moda Center.
For the Clippers, the win provides a much-needed jolt of optimism as they return to Los Angeles for a five-game home stand at the brand-new Intuit Dome, starting with a matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Leonard, who has now scored 20 or more points in 12 consecutive games, and Harden, averaging 26 points and 8.1 assists for the season, will look to keep the momentum rolling as the team tries to claw its way back into the Western Conference playoff picture.
Brook Lopez’s renaissance performance may not have been on anyone’s bingo card for the 2025-26 NBA season, but on a chilly December night in Portland, it was exactly what the Clippers needed. With their stars firing, their shooters sizzling, and their spirits suddenly soaring, Los Angeles heads home with new hope—and a reminder that, in the NBA, anything can happen when you just keep shooting.