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Blazers’ Donovan Clingan ejected from Memphis game after dangerous elbow
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- Blazers’ Donovan Clingan ejected from Memphis game after dangerous elbow
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The Portland Trail Blazers were looking to keep their momentum rolling against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, but things took a sharp turn for the worse late in the second quarter. Donovan Clingan , the Blazers' towering rookie center, found himself making an early exit after a heated moment resulted in an automatic ejection.
With just over three minutes remaining in the first half and the Grizzlies leading 52-47, Clingan was working the ball at the top of the key. Memphis forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper was locked in defensively, getting tight and keeping his hands active in the rookie's face. In an apparent attempt to create space or perhaps out of frustration from the physical pressure, Clingan swung a sharp elbow that caught Prosper, sending him crashing to the floor.
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Officials wasted no time heading to the monitor to review the contact. After a brief look at the replay, they assessed Clingan with a Flagrant 2 foul, which carries an automatic ejection. It was a tough blow for a Portland squad that relies heavily on his interior presence. Before his night ended prematurely, Clingan was making his mark on the game with seven points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots in just 12 minutes of action.
His absence forced the coaching staff to shuffle the rotation, leaning more heavily on Robert Williams III to anchor the defense against the Grizzlies' frontcourt. While the Blazers have praised Clingan's competitive fire throughout the season, this specific lapse in judgment left them shorthanded in a tight Western Conference battle. Portland will now wait to see if any further discipline from the league office follows the big man's first career ejection.
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