Seven minutes and thirty-two seconds was enough for Rayan Rupert to be one of the key players for the Blazers on Wednesday night. Among the Clippers, Portland was on the verge of giving in in the fourth quarter. But the young French back came to the rescue and made the most of his short playing time. His seven points before money time allowed the visitors to come back, before winning in the final moments.
The sophomore returned to the ranks after taking advantage of numerous injuries and the freewheeling end of the 2024 season for his franchise to obtain playing time and first starts. Rotation at positions 2/3, Rayan Rupert did not come into play during the Blazers' second game of the season, then had to be content with just under four minutes the following game, still against the Pelicans.
And his coach Chauncey Billups did not necessarily give him a gift by only starting him on Wednesday at the very end of the third quarter. Rayan Rupert, however, was able to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Seven points in 43 seconds
The Clippers had just regained an eight-point lead with 10:46 remaining. But 43 seconds later, the score was only 90-89 in their favor, seven points to blame for the Habs alone! A difficult lay-up, a basket on a quick play, then a long shot: a nice series that surprised the entire Intuit Dome right up to the Clippers commentators who confused Rayan Rupert with Toumani Camara several possessions in a row…
“ My teammates were proud, and I am very happy“, reacted the evening X factorall smiles. “ They support me all the time, push me even when I'm not playing. I love these guys. They said to me 'thank you, that's how you have to be ready and aggressive'. They told me I changed the match. » Completely revived by the 20-year-old, Portland held on, until winning by taking the advantage in the final moments of the match.
“ We did an incredible job of staying together. » welcomed Chauncey Billups. “ We knew we were going to need everyone in this away game against one of the best defenses in the league. » « I feel more comfortable, I worked all summer, and I feel ready » assured the native of Strasbourg. “ I just try to be ready every moment. Each time the coach brings me on, I try to bring as much energy as possible to my teammates on the pitch. »
Facing Nicolas Batum, whom he described as “ big brother » and “ mentor“, Rayan Rupert may have scored points beyond the stat sheet. Which are just waiting to be confirmed on Friday against the leader of the West, the Thunder.
| Rayan Rupert | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | POR | 39 | 16 | 33.5 | 35.9 | 76.0 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 4.0 |
| 2024-25 | POR | 3 | 11 | 66.7 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 3.3 |
| Total | 42 | 16 | 34.7 | 35.4 | 77.8 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 3.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
