Deni Avdija scored 34 points and dished out 11 assists to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 122-109 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday at Smoothie King Center. Caleb Love added 22 points, hitting six 3-pointers, while Shaedon Sharpe contributed 23 as Portland pulled away in the second quarter.
Donovan Clingan recorded 11 points and a team-high 15 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, helping the Blazers score 24 second-chance points and 23 points off 15 Pelicans turnovers. Portland improved to 15-20, earning its third victory in four games.
Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 35 points but received limited support from teammates, as Jeremiah Fears added 18 and Jordan Poole scored 16. Kevon Looney grabbed 12 rebounds, but the Pelicans’ depleted lineup struggled to keep pace without Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, and Derik Queen.
New Orleans shot 59.1% in the first quarter, scoring 37 points, but the Pelicans managed only 18 points on 9-of-22 shooting in the second, allowing Portland to take a 63-55 halftime lead. Avdija scored 23 of his points in the first half, setting the tone for the Blazers’ surge.
Portland connected on 16 of 47 3-pointers (34%) while holding New Orleans to eight of 30 (26.7%) from beyond the arc. The Trail Blazers dominated the glass and capitalized on turnovers to maintain control throughout the second half.
The Blazers will visit the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, while the Pelicans, who have dropped six straight games, head to Miami on Sunday.
