PORTLAND, Ore. — Deni Avdija delivered a striking performance with 31 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists, propelling the Portland Trail Blazers to a commanding 115-99 triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday evening.
Anfernee Simons contributed an additional 22 points for the Trail Blazers, who established a 21-point lead during the third quarter and maintained their advantage without trailing at any stage.
Desmond Bane was the leading scorer for the Grizzlies, contributing 20 points.
With this victory, Portland improved to a 31-39 record, marking their third consecutive win. This moves them closer to the pivotal 10th spot in the Western Conference, just two games behind. Both Dallas and Phoenix currently share the 10th position with a 33-37 record.
In contrast, Memphis remains a game behind the Denver Nuggets in the battle for fourth place in the West and the coveted home-court advantage in the first playoff round.
Despite falling behind by 21 points in the third quarter, the Grizzlies managed to reduce Portland’s lead to 96-89 as they headed into the final period.
A crucial 3-pointer from Avdija, who had already amassed 26 points by halftime, gave Portland their largest lead of the first half at 66-50. However, the Grizzlies managed to close the gap slightly to 71-58 by halftime.
Portland initiated the second half with an 11-3 surge, extending their lead to 82-61.
The Trail Blazers had an impressive start, building a 25-10 lead in the first quarter.
In a notable NCAA rematch, Memphis center Zach Edey, and Portland’s Donovan Clingan faced off once more, both starting the game on Wednesday night. Edey was hindered by foul trouble and logged just 10 minutes on the court, while Clingan recorded seven points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in his 26 minutes of play.
A turning point came in the fourth quarter when Jaren Jackson Jr., a star forward for the Grizzlies, committed an offensive foul and received a technical foul for contesting the call with officials. This event marked the end of the Grizzlies’ chances to close the gap, failing to narrow it to less than 10 points thereafter.
The Blazers demonstrated their dominance on the boards, outrebounding the Grizzlies with a 65-40 margin.
Continuing with their schedules, Memphis will take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, while Portland will play host to Denver.