The Portland Trail Blazers secured their fifth straight win with a 112-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Anfernee Simons led the charge with 22 points as Portland improved to 22-29 on the season.
Jerami Grant contributed 20 points for the Blazers, who have now won nine of their last ten games. The Pacers, coming into the game with a four-game winning streak, fell to 28-21 with the loss.
Indiana made a push in the fourth quarter, cutting Portland’s lead to 80-74 after a T.J. McConnell basket. However, Scoot Henderson responded with a deep three-pointer to put the Blazers ahead 89-76 with just over six minutes remaining.
Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 17 points, but Indiana struggled offensively, shooting 42.0% from the field and just 20.8% from beyond the arc. Pascal Siakam finished with 16 points and six rebounds, while Myles Turner, returning from a one-game absence, added nine points.
Portland established control early, taking a 27-18 lead after the first quarter. Indiana battled back to within four points in the second quarter, but the Blazers carried a 45-38 advantage into halftime.
Turner’s three-pointer cut the deficit to 53-49 in the third quarter, but Portland responded with a strong finish, capped by Shaedon Sharpe’s emphatic dunk to extend the lead to 60-52.
Tensions flared in the third when Nembhard and Deandre Ayton got into a brief scuffle, resulting in offsetting technical fouls. The Blazers remained unfazed and outscored Indiana 33-28 in the period.
Portland’s bench played a key role, with Henderson and Sharpe each scoring 17 points. Robert Williams III grabbed 11 rebounds, helping the Blazers dominate the glass with a 51-39 rebounding edge.
