Deni Avdija posted 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while Caleb Love scored 20 points off the bench as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers never trailed in the second half of a 122-110 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
Shaedon Sharpe added 20 points, nine points and five assists for Portland, which snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the third time in 11 games. Toumani Camara scored 17 points and Donovan Clingan grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points in 34 minutes for the Cavaliers while Evan Mobley had 23 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots. Cleveland lost for the fourth time in five games since Nov. 24.
The Cavaliers got as close as 113-108 in the fourth on a Mobley 3-pointer with 2:37 remaining, but Avdija answered with a basket and a pair of free throws to quell the threat. Avdija made 16 of 17 free throw attempts.
Portland blew the game open in the third quarter, taking its largest lead at 84-66 on a 3-pointer from Sidy Cissoko. The Trail Blazers are 1-1 on a five-game road trip that began Tuesday with a 121-118 loss at the Toronto Raptors.
Cleveland point guards Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball shot a combined 3 of 22 from the field, including 2 of 16 on 3-point attempts.
Avdija had 17 points and went 10 of 10 from the foul line in the first half as Portland went in front by 13 before going into the break ahead 68-58. Mitchell led all scorers with 19 and Mobley had 16 points for the Cavaliers.
Mitchell scored 14 points and Mobley had 12 in the first quarter, but the Trail Blazers held a 36-33 advantage. Camara and Love each had six points for Portland, which committed the only turnover in the period.
Trail Blazers small forward Kris Murray (left hip bruise) and center Robert Williams III (left knee soreness) did not dress for the second half of a back-to-back set. Avdija (left ankle sprain) and Clingan (left lower leg bruise) were game-time decisions.
–Field Level Media
