Deni Avdija exploded for a season-high 36 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 128-109 victory over the Denver Nuggets at home. The win marked Portland’s fourth straight as they continue to push for a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Avdija added eight rebounds and seven assists while shooting 12-of-16 from the field. Shaedon Sharpe contributed 23 points, helping the Trail Blazers outscore Denver 74-50 in the second half. Portland (32-39) remains two games behind Dallas and Phoenix for 10th place in the West.
Denver (44-27) played without Nikola Jokic for the third straight game as the three-time MVP continues to recover from an ankle injury. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 23 points, while Michael Porter Jr. had 17. Denver has now lost two straight and trails the Lakers by half a game for third place in the conference.
The Nuggets led 59-54 at halftime and extended their advantage early in the third quarter before Portland’s 14-0 run shifted momentum.
Denver briefly regained control when Peyton Watson hit a three-pointer to spark an 11-2 run, tying the game at 78. However, Portland closed the third on a 6-0 run and entered the fourth quarter up 88-82.
Scoot Henderson provided one of the game’s highlights with a putback dunk during Portland’s decisive third-quarter surge. He finished with 16 points and four assists in 19 minutes.
Denver’s offense struggled down the stretch, and with 4:19 left in the game, head coach Michael Malone pulled his starters as Portland led 118-98. The Blazers finished with a dominant 26-10 advantage in second-chance points.
Portland played without Donovan Clingan and Anfernee Simons, both of whom were late scratches due to illness. Despite missing key players, the Blazers shot 54% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
With Jokic out, Gordon has taken on a larger offensive role, averaging 29 points over the last three games. However, the Nuggets have now dropped two of those contests and will look to bounce back in their next outing.
