Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson each scored 25 points as the Portland Trail Blazers overcame the Utah Jazz 124-114 at the Moda Center on Friday night.
Donovan Clingan added a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds to anchor Portland’s inside presence.
The Jazz, who saw Ace Bailey exit after seven minutes due to concussion symptoms, were led by Brice Sensabaugh’s 31 points but could not maintain their early 33-15 advantage.
Portland responded with a 27-5 run to take control, capped by Holiday’s first-quarter 3-pointer that gave the Trail Blazers their initial lead.
Sidy Cissoko contributed back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second quarter, sparking a 14-0 run that put Portland ahead 38-34 and set the tone for the remainder of the first half.
Utah cut the lead several times in the second half, with Oscar Tshiebwe’s layup making it 91-89 late in the third, but Portland answered with consecutive threes from Holiday and Henderson to push the margin to 114-103 with 3:28 left.
Portland shot 46% from the field and 37% from three, hitting 94% of their free throws, while the Jazz managed 42-of-92 overall with 43% from deep.
The victory moves the Trail Blazers within half a game of the Warriors for the Western Conference’s ninth seed, increasing their playoff positioning chances.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attended the game amid the pending sale of the Trail Blazers, expected to be finalized at the upcoming Board of Governors meeting.
Portland will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, while the Jazz travel to Sacramento to continue their road schedule.
