Blazers Rally Past Nuggets to End Denver Losing Streak
Portland's Trail Blazers defeated Denver's Nuggets 118-110 in Denver on November 2, overcoming a halftime deficit. Deni Avdija scored 28 points as Portland improved to 5-1.
Portland erased a slow start and outscored Denver by 16 points after halftime to secure the win, snapping an 18-game regular-season skid in Denver. The Blazers had trailed for most of the game before taking their first lead late in the third quarter.
Avdija led Portland with 28 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. Donovan Clingan added 17 points and 18 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday had 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds off the bench. Damian Lillard scored 20 points, with nine coming at the stripe.
Denver’s Jamal Murray led all players with 35 points. Nikola Jokic finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Portland opened the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run to take a six-point lead. The Nuggets later closed the gap to three, but Toumani Camara’s three-pointer with 1:09 remaining helped seal the result.
Portland’s shooting improved after a poor first quarter: the team made 12 of 23 shots in the second period, including six three-pointers. Denver converted 21 of 26 foul shots in the first half, then made eight after the break.
The Blazers moved to 5-1 overall and 4-0 on the road. They visit Phoenix on Wednesday. Denver fell to 3-3 and hosts Toronto on Wednesday.