Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija combined for 65 points as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 127-113 on Tuesday night. Sharpe recorded 33 points and 10 rebounds, while Avdija delivered a triple-double with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for Portland, which improved to 33-43 and remains 12th in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers built their lead in the second quarter and never trailed again, outscoring the Hawks 40-30 in the third quarter to take control of the game.
Toumani Camara added 18 points for Portland, while Donovan Clingan and Dalano Banton each scored 11. The Trail Blazers also dominated the paint, outscoring Atlanta 66-58 inside.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 29 points and 15 assists, but Atlanta (36-38) fell to eighth in the Eastern Conference. Dyson Daniels had 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Vit Krejci and Onyeka Okongwu contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Sharpe took over in the second half, adding 17 points over the final two quarters to help Portland pull away. The Trail Blazers led by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter, securing their second win in two meetings with Atlanta this season.
The Hawks’ loss had playoff implications, as it officially clinched a postseason spot for the Indiana Pacers. Despite the defeat, Atlanta has already secured a play-in berth, ensuring a chance to compete for a playoff spot.
Portland, meanwhile, remains four games behind the idle Sacramento Kings for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. With just a handful of games left in the season, the Trail Blazers face an uphill battle to stay in postseason contention.
Portland shot 45.6% from the field and made 13 of 41 three-pointers, while Atlanta struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 7 of 32 attempts (21.9%). The Blazers also capitalized on second-chance opportunities, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds to Atlanta’s 12.
