Deni Avdija Scores 28 as Trail Blazers Beat Nuggets 118-110 to Stay Perfect on the Road

The Portland Trail Blazers still haven’t lost on the road. Deni Avdija scored nine of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and Portland came from behind to beat the Denver Nuggets 118-110 on Monday night in Denver.

Portland improved to 5-1 overall and 4-0 away from home, according to the Associated Press. Denver dropped to 3-3 and has lost two of its first three home games.

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets: final score by quarter

How Portland came back

Denver controlled the early going and led by as many as 14, per the box score. Portland trailed for the first 32 minutes, the AP reported, until a Jrue Holiday layup late in the third quarter gave the Blazers an 82-80 lead.

The Nuggets still took a two-point lead into the fourth. Then Portland opened the final quarter on a 9-2 run to go up six. Holiday hit Portland’s 14th 3-pointer to make it 108-99, and after Jamal Murray’s 3 cut it to 110-107, Toumani Camara hit the Blazers’ final 3 with 1:09 left to seal it.

Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday lead the way

Avdija finished with 28 points on 10-of-22 shooting and added five assists. Holiday came off the bench and nearly had a triple-double with 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Portland was plus-13 with him on the floor.

Donovan Clingan was a force inside with 17 points and 18 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass. Damian Lillard added 20 points, going 9-of-10 at the free-throw line.

Nikola Jokić just misses a milestone

Nikola Jokić had 26 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. He entered the fourth quarter on the verge of his 201st career triple-double, the AP said, but did not record a rebound or an assist in the final period.

Jamal Murray led Denver with 35 points and went 11-of-11 from the line. Christian Braun added 14.

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets match player stats

Trail Blazers

• Deni Avdija: 28 points, 5 assists
• Damian Lillard: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists
• Donovan Clingan: 17 points, 18 rebounds
• Jrue Holiday: 17 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds
• Toumani Camara: 9 points, three 3-pointers

Nuggets

• Jamal Murray: 35 points, 10-of-19 FG
• Nikola Jokić: 26 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals
• Christian Braun: 14 points
• DeMar DeRozan: 9 points off the bench

Portland outscored Denver 54-44 in the paint and outrebounded the Nuggets 53-37, according to the box score.

Denver’s uneven start

The Nuggets’ only home win so far came in overtime against New Orleans after they rallied from 23 points down, the AP noted. Portland, meanwhile, is in a stretch of six road games in seven after opening with a home win over Phoenix.

What’s next

• Trail Blazers: at the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
• Nuggets: host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

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