Shaedon Sharpe scored a season-high 35 points, while Deni Avdija added 32 as the Portland Trail Blazers held off the New Orleans Pelicans 125-117 on Wednesday night at Smoothie King Center. Sharpe went 11-for-11 on 2-point attempts, marking the most 2-point shots without a miss by a Portland player since 1982.
Avdija has now scored 25 or more points in five consecutive games, the longest streak of his career and the longest for a Trail Blazers player since Damian Lillard had 19 straight in 2022-23. Sharpe and Avdija accounted for 67 of Portland’s points in the win.
Rookie Derik Queen led New Orleans with 26 points, and Saddiq Bey added 25, but the Pelicans could not keep pace in the second half. The Blazers outscored the home team 38-26 in the third quarter to take control after trailing 59-57 at halftime.
Portland played without Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, and Blake Wesley, yet Sharpe and Avdija carried the offense efficiently. The Trail Blazers hit 48 of 83 field goals (57.8%) and connected on 13 of 37 three-pointers (35.1%).
New Orleans was missing Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and Jordan Poole, limiting the team’s options despite solid performances from their starters. The Pelicans finished with 43.3% shooting, hitting 13 of 39 from long range.
Sharpe’s perfect 2-point shooting and Avdija’s consistent scoring helped Portland secure their sixth win in 11 games. Queen and Bey kept New Orleans close, but the Trail Blazers’ third-quarter surge proved decisive.
Portland will visit the Houston Rockets on Friday, while New Orleans hosts the Los Angeles Lakers the same night.
