The Portland Trail Blazers delivered one of their most dominant performances of the season Sunday, defeating the Washington Wizards 123-88 at Moda Center.
Toumani Camara led Portland with 23 points while shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-9 from three-point range. He added seven rebounds and three steals as the Blazers controlled the game on both ends.
Scoot Henderson scored 21 points and handed out seven assists after entering the starting lineup in place of Jerami Grant, who missed the game with a calf strain.
Deni Avdija contributed 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists as Portland improved to 38-38. The victory kept the Blazers in the Western Conference play-in race after they had already secured a postseason qualifying spot.
Portland has now won six of its last eight games and bounced back from a 100-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
The Blazers built momentum late in the first half and never allowed Washington to recover.
The game started unevenly with both teams struggling to find offensive rhythm. Portland built an early 13-point lead, but the Wizards briefly pulled even at 34 after Bub Carrington connected on a three-pointer.
Washington never moved ahead, and Portland closed the second quarter on a 13-4 run to take a 58-47 halftime lead.
Neither team shot well from deep early. Portland made six of its first 19 three-point attempts, while Washington hit just three of 16.
The Blazers took full control in the third quarter. Camara’s transition layup pushed the margin to 73-52, forcing the Wizards into catch-up mode.
Portland continued to stretch the lead throughout the second half and eventually built a 39-point advantage. Head coach Tiago Splitter pulled his starters early in the fourth quarter as the result became clear.
The 35-point victory tied Portland’s largest margin of the season.
The Blazers shot 51% from the field and recorded 24 assists on 44 made baskets. They also dominated the interior with 49 total rebounds and 10 blocks.
Jrue Holiday added 11 points while Donovan Clingan anchored the defense with five blocks.
Portland’s bench provided steady production as well. Matisse Thybulle scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Kris Murray added nine points.
Washington struggled offensively throughout the night and shot just 37% from the field.
Bilal Coulibaly finished with four points on 2-of-14 shooting, while Carrington scored 11 points but went 1-of-5 from three-point range.
Will Riley led the Wizards’ bench with 14 points.
Washington continued to deal with significant injuries. The team was without Trae Young, who missed his seventh straight game with lower back pain and a right quad contusion.
The Wizards also remained without Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Cam Whitmore.
Washington fell to 17-57 and has now lost 18 of its last 19 games after being eliminated from playoff contention earlier this month.
Portland will visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday as it continues its push to strengthen its play-in position. Washington travels to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Monday.
