The Portland Trail Blazers took the lead midway through the second quarter and never looked back for a 122-108 road win at the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Deni Avdija connected on a 3-pointer to put the Blazers up 40-38, sparking a nine-point Portland run. Avdija added a pair of free throws in the final seconds to send Portland into the halftime locker room with a 57-51 lead.
Avdija drilled back-to-back long balls in the middle of the third quarter to stretch the margin to 15 points, and Portland would enjoy a double-digit cushion the rest of the way.
“The resilience of playing tired and pushing on a back-to-back like this,” said Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter. “They played extremely hard. They used everything in their tank.”
Avdija led the Blazers with 25 points, while Jrue Holiday added 24 points and a team-high six assists.
Blazers center Donovan Clingan finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Portland (2-2) continues its road trip Wednesday in Salt Lake City.