PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Shaedon Sharpe achieved 24 points, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 117-101 victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night, despite the absence of high-scoring Deni Avdija.
Avdija was sidelined for a second consecutive game due to lower back discomfort. He is currently posting averages of 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
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Portland led 88-87 heading into the fourth quarter and then pulled away decisively. The Trail Blazers had previously dropped two games after securing five consecutive wins.
Jerami Grant contributed 16 points while Rayan Rupert added 13. Jrue Holiday scored 12 points in his third appearance back after missing 27 games due to a right calf injury.
Onyeka Okongwu was the top scorer for Atlanta with 26 points. The Hawks ended this four-game road trip with a record of 1-3. They have not won in Portland since February 13, 2017, losing nine straight games there.
CJ McCollum recorded 20 points in his third matchup with the Hawks after transferring from Washington in the trade that involved Trae Young going to the Wizards. McCollum spent his first 8.5 seasons with the Trail Blazers.
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Atlanta’s Kristaps Porzingis has missed his fourth consecutive game due to an Achilles issue.
Up next
Hawks: Set to host Boston on Saturday night.
Trail Blazers: Scheduled to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
