Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara had himself a night against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, continuing to be one of the most underappreciated players in the NBA.
Camara led the Trail Blazers to a one-sided win over the Nets, 134-99, with career-highs of 35 points and nine three-pointers. He shot 10-of-12 from the field, including 9-of-11 from beyond the arc. He also had three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Portland improved to 36-37, winning four of its last five assignments. They are just a half-game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
Camara, who is in his third season in Rip City, set a new team record with his career night.
“Camara's 35 points are also the most in Trail Blazers history on 12 or fewer field goal attempts,” said the team's official account on X.
He also set two milestones after waxing hot from three-point territory.
“Camara’s 9-for-11 (.818) three-point shooting performance marks the most made three-pointers by a @trailblazers player since February 26, 2023 (Damian Lillard) and best three-point percentage with at least 10 three-point attempts since April 27, 2021 (Anfernee Simons),” added the Trail Blazers.
The 25-year-old is having a breakout campaign, averaging career-bests of 13.0 points and 2.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. He can make a case for getting a nod to the All-Defensive Team or get a few votes for Most Improved Player.
Camara, who hails from Belgium, was drafted by the Phoenix Suns as the 52nd overall pick in 2023. He, however, was shipped to the Trail Blazers as part of the three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
He has slowly carved out a role in Portland, forming an upstart core with Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson.
