The Portland Trail Blazers are celebrating after a 114-104 win against the Los Angeles Clippers inside the Intuit Dome.
The victory puts the Blazers above .500 for the first time since the middle of January. It also gives them a closer margin between them and the Clippers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference standings.
The win puts the Blazers at 39-38 with five games to go while the Clippers are 39-37 with six games to go. The Clippers will be underdogs in their next game against the San Antonio Spurs, so it could put the two teams in a tie later in the week.
This was the biggest game of the season, according to Blazers acting head coach Tiago Splitter, and the team rose to the occasion. That should give the Blazers a ton of confidence moving forward, and they did an excellent job defending Kawhi Leonard. Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday combined for 58 points, and their defense on Leonard, Toumani Camara among others, was the biggest factor in why the Blazers pulled out the win.
It’s far from over between the Blazers and Clippers, as they will meet once more on April 10 before the end of the season. That game could be the ultimate factor in who finishes higher in the standings at the end of the season.
Blazers Grab Biggest Win of the Year
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija reacts after a play during the first half. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The leading scorer for the game was Holiday, who scored 30 points while making seven three-pointers. Avdija had a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds. He also had eight assists, putting him too shy of a triple double. Camara had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Scoot Henderson had 15 while starting for an injured Jerami Grant.
For the Clippers, Leonard was the leading scorer with 23 points. Darius Garland was next on the list with 20. John Collins added 17 of his own and Brook Lopez had 18. Jordan Miller joined his teammates in double figures with 16 off the bench.
What’s Next For Blazers?
The Blazers have now won seven of their last nine games, and they will look to continue this momentum when they head back home to take on the lottery-bound New Orleans Pelicans.
Tip off between the Pelicans and Blazers is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. PT inside the Moda Center. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.