Norma Powell and the Clippers came to the bench late to beat the Trail Blazers

When the back of Reggie Jackson’s head hit hardwood late in the second quarter on Tuesday, the impact after a hard fall was heard throughout the Moda Center.

Jackson lay prone on the ground for several seconds as five Clippers teammates rushed to check on their starting point guard.

It was an ominous sign for Clippers the team is already missing the four most dangerous players. A quarter later, even with Jackson back, it was the Clippers that seemed lifeless as their deficit rose to 18 with 15 minutes left.

No one is yet sure what this version of the Clippers will become, whether the title chase is really within the realm of possibility, or whether they can stay healthy enough to turn potential into reality. But late in November, in a game without their top stars, the Clippers turned into a group of lunatics who suddenly beat Portland in a dismal fourth quarter. Norman Powellex-Trail Blazer yelling at the crowd and shaking his fist in the last seconds after a goal

Powell repeatedly punished the Blazers with shots to the basket, scoring five layups in the final quarter. After all, Jackson, who finished with 24 points, played the entire second half. He went to the locker room without shouting to anyone about his fall: “Boy, I’ll feel it on the plane.”

It will be a happy trip to Salt Lake City for Wednesday’s game after surprising and improving to 13-9 thanks to a final roster that included rookie Moussa Diabate, who woke up in Ontario with a G League team franchise with all six NBA Minutes under his belt. The 6-foot-9 Michigan forward played every second of the fourth quarter.

The comeback also included Jason Preston, a backup point guard who missed last season with a leg injury and hit his first NBA shot with a three-pointer in the first quarter. Preston was needed because John Wall, who normally handles offense on the bench, was out due to treatment for injuries to his left knee, continuing the team’s practice of not playing Wall on consecutive nights.

The Clippers lost 37 points to Anferny Simons and 32 to Jerami Grant, but focused the full force of their defensive efforts on the duo late in the game, forcing the likes of Justice Winslow and Josh Hart to blunt their rally. It didn’t happen as the Clippers hit 12 of 21 shots in the fourth quarter plus nine of 12 free throws.

Trailing 110–108 with 2:35 left, Jackson scored a 3-pointer from Nicholas Batum, a former Trail Blazer player who spent his first seven seasons with Portland.

After a simple Powell extended the Clippers’ lead to 115–112 with 1:35 left, Diabate blocked Simons’ shot and began a procession of fans to the exits. Portland never scored again. The Trail Blazers played without star quarterback Damian Lillard.