Trail Blazers secure victory over Grizzlies in Portland

Deni Avdija had a standout performance with 31 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists, helping the Portland Trail Blazers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-99 on Wednesday night. Anfernee Simons contributed 22 points for the Blazers, who maintained a strong lead throughout the game. They were ahead by 21 points in the third quarter and never lost their advantage. Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 20 points. Despite trailing by 21, Memphis closed the gap to 96-89 heading into the final quarter. Avdija's impressive play included a three-pointer that gave the Blazers a significant lead of 66-50 before halftime. The Grizzlies managed to reduce the margin to 71-58 at the break. Portland started the second half strong, extending their lead to 82-61. With this win, the Trail Blazers are now just two games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the 10th spot in the Western Conference and a chance to compete in the play-in tournament. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies fell behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the race for home-court advantage in the playoffs.