The Portland Trail Blazers stayed hot in the play-in race Thursday night, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 118-106 at Moda Center while their new ownership group watched from courtside.
Jrue Holiday led the way with 27 points and seven 3-pointers, and Deni Avdija added 26 as Portland won its third straight and eighth of its last 10 games.
Toumani Camara also delivered a strong all-around game with 23 points, helping the Blazers close the second half with better pace, cleaner shot selection and more pressure on the ball.
Portland improved to 40-38 and remains a half-game behind the eighth-place Clippers, with a chance to move up and reduce the number of games needed to reach the playoffs.
The Blazers’ new owners led by Tom Dundon took in the game from the sideline after the NBA Board of Governors approved the reported $4.25 billion sale of the franchise earlier in the week.
New Orleans led 64-60 at halftime after building a 48-39 advantage in the opening half, but Portland answered with a sharper second half and better perimeter shooting.
Scoot Henderson and Avdija hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the third quarter to pull the Blazers within 60-57, and Matisse Thybulle gave Portland the lead for good with a 3-pointer in the period.
Holiday then took control in the fourth. His deep 3-pointer midway through the final quarter pushed the margin to 106-96, and another from long range with 1:21 left stretched the lead to 116-105 and effectively ended the game.
The Blazers finished 20-of-51 from 3-point range and outscored New Orleans with better balance across the roster, while also getting defensive stops when the Pelicans tried to make a late push.
Jeremiah Fears scored 21 points off the bench for New Orleans, but the Pelicans dropped their 11th game in 12 tries and continue to struggle in the closing stretch of the season.
Holiday finished with nine assists, showing the kind of control Portland needed in a game with direct postseason implications.
Portland visits Denver on Monday, while New Orleans heads to Sacramento on Saturday.
