“Trail Blazers show character in bounce-back win over Timberwolves”.

After Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups questioned his team’s pride following a 45-point loss to the depleted Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, the players answered the bell on Tuesday against the title-contending Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Blazers played with heart and spirit at home against an opponent that beat them by 25 points less than a week ago. Or as Portland forward Deni Avdija put it after the game, “They showed character.” They also kicked out a lot of balls, making the score 18-32 with 3 seconds left.

The combination resulted in a stunning 122-108 victory and an eye-catching 1-0 record in the Emirates NBA Cup.

“How you play, how hard you play and how you play together is kind of who we are and … what we’re building here,” Billups told reporters after the win. “Tonight we did it at a high level and added shotmaking. Whenever you get the 3-ball going, it becomes a beautiful game.”

The game ball goes to replacement center Robert Williams III, who showed a masterful performance in his third game back after being out for almost a year due to injury. Williams put his stamp on the win with 19 points on 9-10 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.

“His rebounding, his blocked shots, his voice — he’s just so impactful,” Billups said. “You get a chance to play him for 25 minutes and see what he does against one of the best teams in basketball.”

“His motor, both defensively and offensively, was amazing,” added Avdija, who had a strong all-around game with 17 points and five assists. “I’m very happy that he’s healthy and performing like this.”

While Williams had the best game, his teammates made significant contributions as seven players reached double figures. “Everybody played great,” Billups said, a far cry from the “They all sucked” statement he dropped 48 hours earlier. Much of Tuesday was the polar opposite of that embarrassing Memphis loss.

On Sunday, the Blazers posted an abysmal 4:42 after 3 seconds. Tuesday’s 18-32 (56.3%) performance through three games marked the highest single-game 3-point percentage in the NBA this season. In Portland’s three games prior to Tuesday, the Blazers combined for 19 three-pointers. Dalano Banton hit a hard-fought 3-pointer at the buzzer in the first quarter. Avdija found his shot (3-6 on 3s) and sank a deep 3 at the buzzer in the third quarter. On one play in the third quarter, Minnesota center Rudy Gobert blocked Scoot Henderson’s layup right to Toumani Camara in the corner. Camara went for it and made one of his four 3-pointers. It was such a night from the depths.

On Sunday, the Moda Center crowd booed his team several times and many headed for the exits after the third quarter. On Tuesday, the home crowd cheered as Williams threw alley-ups and the Blazers took advantage of second chances and put in extra effort on defense. Some fans still left a little early on Tuesday, but this time it was because the Blazers had beaten the Timberwolves with a few minutes left.

“That’s more like it!” one Blazers fan exclaimed as he exited the gate through press row with just over a minute left.

Considering all the changes, perhaps the team meeting in training on Monday worked after all?

Less than 24 hours after the Grizzlies’ loss, the team held a meeting between players and coaches at the practice facility Monday morning. Williams called it an “accountability meeting” in which they tried to solve their problems through honest and constructive criticism. Avdija felt it made a difference.

“Even if you lose, there is a way to lose,” Avdija said. “…So we had a good conversation yesterday, and today we came in refreshed, I feel like we were in a different mood, and that got us going a little bit. We shared the ball, we moved it. It was really nice to watch everyone play today.”

It was 48 hours of extremes for the Blazers. After Sunday’s stunning defeat made it seem like the sky was falling, Tuesday’s emphatic victory acts as a temporary stabilizer. There are sure to be more low points and a lot more defeats this season, especially if the Blazers’ 3-point shooting returns to normal. The challenge for the Blazers will be maintaining the level of competition and avoiding these steep declines.

“To be honest, we’re in a situation right now where we feel like our backs are against the wall,” Williams said. “This is a victory. Of course we’re grateful for it, we’re grateful for it, but we’re trying to build on what you saw tonight – the defense, the fast play, the teamwork is the biggest thing. That’s why we try to maintain these principles.”

More game notes

Anfernee Simons left Tuesday’s game in the first quarter with a chest issue, the team announced on social media during the game. In the postgame press conference, Billups provided this update on Ant:

“He felt a slight shortness of breath out of nowhere and we obviously wanted to be extra careful. So we took him out. We ran some tests on him. It’s back to normal, but more tests are needed tomorrow. We were all happy to see him smiling in the locker room, it felt good.”

• Donovan Clingan started the NBA regular season for the first time in his career. The rookie center scored four points on 2-5 shooting, six rebounds (three offensive), one block, one steal and five fouls in 21 minutes.