The Portland Trail Blazers narrowly fell short in an exciting overtime thriller against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Despite a strong performance from Deni Avdija, who recorded a triple-double with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, the Cavs edged out the Blazers 133-129.
Portland’s spirited defense led by Avdija propelled them to an 18-point lead in the third quarter. However, Cleveland’s 3-point attack eventually took over, and they outlasted Portland in overtime. The decisive moment came with seven seconds left in OT when Avdija’s pull-up 3 hit off the back-end, securing a crucial Cavs win.
The game was marked by intense defense from both teams, with Portland holding Cleveland to just 32.6% shooting from the field and 25% from deep in the first half. The Cavs retaliated with a suffocating defense that forced 20 turnovers, but eventually broke free in the second half, outscoring the Blazers 55% to 30%.
Avdija’s incredible all-around performance highlighted his importance to Portland’s success. He also led to five turnovers, but provided several key passes throughout the game. The Blazers’ response to Cleveland’s physical defense was to rely heavily on Avdija, who delivered with a strong game.
A crucial moment came in the final quarter when Portland trailed by two points and had possession with 31 seconds left. However, a chaotic sequence of events led to a missed 3-pointer by Avdija, ultimately securing the Cavs’ win.
The Trail Blazers now head to Philadelphia to face the 76ers tomorrow at 4:00 PM Pacific time.
Source: https://www.blazersedge.com/2025/3/2/24376470/portland-trail-blazers-cleveland-cavaliers-recap-deni-avdija-scoot-henderson-donovan-mitchell-nba