Shaedon Sharpe delivered a career-high 36 points, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 129-121 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Sharpe’s highlight of the night came on a ferocious one-handed dunk, which was immediately regarded as one of the season’s best slams.
He shot 13-of-26 from the field and knocked down all four of his free throws in the final minute to help secure the win.
Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson contributed 16 points apiece for Portland, which remains in pursuit of the final Western Conference play-in spot.
The Trail Blazers, now 26-33, sit in 12th place in the West, 4.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings.
Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 24 points, while Richaun Holmes had a career-high 20 points on perfect shooting.
Washington, holding the league’s worst record at 10-48, was aiming for its first back-to-back wins since early February.
Portland outshot Washington 101-83 in total attempts and built a 57-41 lead before halftime.
The Wizards fought back in the third quarter, cutting the deficit, but the Trail Blazers never let their advantage slip below three points.
Deni Avdija, who played just six minutes, exited early due to a left quadriceps injury after scoring five points.
Holmes, making his seventh start in February, went 7-of-7 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Jerami Grant added 15 points for Portland despite struggling with his shot, going 4-of-14 from the floor.
Kris Murray and Jabari Walker each had 12 points off the bench, providing key support for the Trail Blazers.
Washington got 20 points from Corey Kispert, who knocked down five three-pointers in an efficient shooting night.
Bilal Coulibaly and Marcus Smart combined for 26 points, but the Wizards couldn’t contain Sharpe’s scoring explosion.
Portland dominated the rebounding battle 46-41 and forced 19 turnovers, capitalizing on Washington’s mistakes.
The Wizards had a solid shooting night, hitting 51.8% of their shots, but their lack of shot attempts proved costly.
Despite their offensive efficiency, Washington’s inability to slow down Sharpe and Portland’s bench production made the difference.
Portland’s 77.1% free-throw shooting helped maintain their lead late, as Washington attempted to stage a comeback.
Scoot Henderson provided a spark with four three-pointers, continuing his development in his rookie season.
Portland will look to build on this win as they push for a potential late-season play-in push.
Washington, already out of playoff contention, will focus on developing its young core in the final stretch of the season.
