Shaedon Sharpe scored 27 points with seven rebounds and four steals to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 127-110 victory over the Miami Heat at the Moda Center on Thursday night.
Portland improves to 23-22, marking its first over-.500 mark through 45 games since the 2020-21 season, while Miami falls to 23-22.
Deni Avdija added 20 points before leaving with a back injury, and Caleb Love also contributed 20 points, with Toumani Camara scoring 16 and Jrue Holiday 15.
The Trail Blazers led by as many as 21 points and have won 11 of their last 14 games, posting a 9-2 record in January, the best in the NBA.
Bam Adebayo scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Miami, while Norman Powell added 18 points and Simone Fontecchio had 17. Despite Adebayo’s effort, the Heat could not keep pace as Portland surged in the third quarter.
The Trail Blazers trailed 64-63 at halftime before opening the third quarter with a 17-2 run, led by Sharpe’s 24 second-half points. Portland finished with 20 made 3-pointers, with Sharpe shooting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc, compared to Miami’s nine total.
Portland outscored the Heat in transition and forced turnovers that fueled the late surge, highlighting their defensive intensity. Avdija’s exit limited bench depth, but the starters and secondary scorers maintained the lead and closed the game efficiently.
Miami will travel to Utah on Saturday, seeking to stop a three-game skid, while Portland hosts the Toronto Raptors on Friday to continue its hot streak.
