At the Moda Center, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 141-88 on Saturday night to snap a four-game losing run.
The Blazers’ victory by 53 points is the biggest in club history, topping their victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at home on November 21, 1982, by 129-79.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups remarked, “It just feels so good to see our guys have so much success playing the right way.”
The Hornets were the ideal opponent to accommodate the Blazers, who were in dire need of a victory after squandering a chance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
The Hornets had lost 10 of their last 12 games and had the fourth-worst NBA record (14–41) going into the evening.
Put another way, if the Blazers were genuinely interested in trying to secure a play-in spot, losing this game would have been intolerable.
Early on, the Blazers made it apparent that they had no intention of playing around with the Hornets. At the end of the first quarter, Portland had a 38-21 advantage thanks to a running hook by Anfernee Simons that went off the glass at the buzzer.
With 1:35 remaining in the second quarter, Simons’ three-pointer put the Blazers ahead 67-39 as the assault continued. The Blazers led 73–40 at the half.
After only scoring eight points on 3-of-13 shooting against the Lakers, Simons rallied to lead the Blazers with 25 points. Simons made 8 of 16 shots against the Hornets, including 5 of 10 from three-point range.
On Saturday, February 22, 2025, in Portland, Oregon, Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, left, dribbles past Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game. (Craig Mitchelldyer/AP Photo) APAP
Toumani Camara finished with six assists, ten rebounds, and twenty points.Deni Avdija recorded 15 points against the Hornets, compared to 28 against the Lakers.
Jabari Walker and Shaedon Sharpe both scored 20 points after coming off the bench.
With 17 points, Miles Bridges led the Hornets. Despite starting the game with a 27.3-point average, LaMelo Ball only managed five points on 1-of-10 shooting against the Blazers.
The Blazers made a season-high 20 of 43 three-pointers and shot a season-high 58.6% from the field and 46.5% from three-point range. On 51 field goal tries, they recorded 37 assists.
The Blazers had a season-high 57 rebounds, despite having trouble doing so for the majority of the season.
IMPORTANCE OF IT
After losing to the struggling 10th-place Sacramento Kings (28-28), the 13th-place Blazers (24-33) now trail them by 4 games.
QUICK BREAK FURY
The NBA season mark was achieved by the Blazers’ 27 fast break points in the first half. They finished with 36 points after scoring nine in the second half.
During the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, February 22, 2025, Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic, left, spins around Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson. (Craig Mitchelldyer/AP Photo) APAP
NURKIC RETURNS
Jusuf Nurkic, a former center for the Blazers, made his debut in Portland while playing for the Hornets, who acquired him from Phoenix during the trade deadline.
Nurkic scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and provided five assists after coming off the bench. He made five of nine field goals.
UPCOMING
On Monday, the Blazers begin a seven-game road trip against the Utah Jazz (13–42).
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Aaron J. Fentress | [email protected]|@AaronJFentress (Facebook), @AaronFentress (Instagram), and @AaronJFentress (Twitter)
