Toumani Camara’s career-high carries Trail Blazers to blowout win over Brooklyn Nets

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With a pint glass featuring his likeness distributed to fans before the game, Toumani Camara began his night Monday by hitting a three-pointer... off the glass.

The next seven didn’t need the backboard’s assistance.

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Camara’s career-high 35 points — which included a 9-9 start from the field including 8-8 from three to that point — carried the Portland Trail Blazers to a 134-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night at Moda Center.

Camara finished 10-12 from the field and 9-11 from three, and his 35 points were the most ever by a Blazers player on 12 or fewer attempts.

“I caught a rhythm pretty early,” Camara said. “My first one was a bank shot, but just the confidence, really, trusting my work. There’s ups and downs in this league, and you just gotta keep being who you are, and trust in the process. I feel like that’s the biggest thing for me right now.”

The first half was certainly a process. The Blazers (36-37) came out sluggish against the tanking Nets (17-55), tossing the ball out of bounds inexplicably and missing their open looks. Jrue Holiday had six first half turnovers. On the other end, fouls by the Blazers kept the young Nets somewhat competitive for a stretch.

Both teams combined for 33 fouls and 23 turnovers in an ugly first half.

But Portland’s offense came alive in the second quarter thanks in part to the shooting of Camara, and the Blazers took a 69-51 lead into the break.

“We didn’t started the game the way we wanted to,” Camara said. “We turned the ball over a couple of times, but we kept our composure.”

Camara made it 7-7 on his next three-pointer in the third. Meanwhile, Scoot Henderson hit back-to-back threes to extend Portland’s lead to 20 late in the quarter.

Donovan Clingan reached a season-high with his seventh block, and the combination of Henderson and Camara carried the Blazers to a 97-73 lead through three. Henderson had 12 points in the third quarter alone, finishing a +28 on the night.

Camara surpassed his career-high and made it 9-9 from the field (and 8-8 from three) to put the Blazers up 30 early in the fourth. His first miss came moments later, but he made up for it with a stepback three on the next possession.

Camara attempted a near-logo three before his exit, and it clanged off, garnering some flak (and love) from Damian Lillard as he headed to the Blazer bench.

“I wanted to hit one of them Dame Lillard, logo threes,” Camara said with a grin. “I spent a lot of time with him this summer, too, so he knows what I’m capable of. ... He has a lot of trust in me, and is somebody that I can look up to.”

Two-way player Chris Youngblood made his debut down the stretch for the Blazers as Yang Hansen — with no Robert Williams III in the lineup — held serve at center through the finish line. Youngblood hit a pair of three-pointers with Hansen occasionally facilitating the Portland offense from the high post.

“We know who he is,” Blazer coach Tiago Splitter said of Youngblood. “We saw when he played for OKC and the G-League, too. Solid player, we like him, that’s why he’s here. First time he played here with us, but I thought he was smart, reading the game, shooting like he has to shoot.”

Portland’s next game is at home on Wednesday, a 7 p.m. tip against the Milwaukee Bucks (29-41).

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