Avdija, Clingan Power Blazers Past Nuggets 118-110

Portland kept its strong start rolling at Ball Arena on November 2, beating the Denver Nuggets 118-110 for its second straight victory. The Trail Blazers moved to 5-1 behind Deni Avdija’s scoring and substantial contributions from Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Donovan Clingan. Denver fell to 3-3 despite a 35-point performance from Jamal Murray.

Avdija led Portland with 28 points on 10-of-22 shooting, adding five assists and three rebounds in 35 minutes. Lillard supplied 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes, going 5-of-11 from the field. Neither found a consistent touch from deep: Avdija finished 2-of-9, while Lillard went 1-of-5.

Holiday and Clingan gave Portland plenty beyond scoring. Holiday paired 17 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds, shooting 7-of-11 overall and 3-of-4 from three-point range. He also posted a plus-13 mark in 31 minutes. Clingan delivered 17 points and 18 rebounds, adding four blocks and three assists in 32 minutes for a commanding statistical showing.

Murray shot 10-of-19 from the floor and 4-of-9 from deep, adding five rebounds and six assists. Nikola Jokić contributed 26 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Christian Braun added 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while DeMar DeRozan finished with nine points. Those efforts were not enough to prevent Portland from leaving Denver with another win.