Blazers Pull Away From Pacers 127-119, Close In on Play-In Spot

The Portland Trail Blazers came to Gainbridge Fieldhouse with something to prove. And for three quarters, they looked like a team that believed it.

Deni Avdija was electric from the opening tip, pouring in 23 of his 32 points before halftime, while Donovan Clingan turned in a career-high 28 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. The result? A 127-119 Blazers victory that tightened their grip on the Western Conference play-in race and extended Indiana’s nightmare of a season.

This one felt different.

Blazers Come Out Swinging

Portland never trailed. Not once.

The Blazers exploded out of the gate, using a 7-0 run to stretch a four-point lead to 31-20 before the first quarter was even finished. By halftime, they had put up 79 points — matching their highest-scoring half of the entire season. Avdija was everywhere, attacking the rim, drawing fouls, and hitting mid-range jumpers with the kind of quiet confidence that separates good players from great ones.

He made it look easy. It wasn’t.

Clingan Announces Himself in a Big Way

If Avdija was the headliner, Donovan Clingan was the story no one saw coming.

The young center finished with a career-high 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including three triples. He also grabbed 13 rebounds and swatted two shots. At one point in the first quarter, Clingan blocked back-to-back attempts from Ivica Zubac — a reminder that Portland’s frontcourt is no longer just a footnote in the Western Conference conversation.

This performance wasn’t just impressive on paper. It was the kind of coming-out-party performance that makes you sit up in your chair and take notice. Clingan is for real.

Blazers Hang On as Pacers Mount a Late Charge

Portland’s lead ballooned to 115-98 with 7:17 left in the fourth, and it looked like a comfortable cruise to the finish line. Then the Pacers flipped a switch.

Indiana, fueled by reserves, ripped off a 19-5 run that brought the score to 120-117 with just 1:29 remaining. Kobe Brown buried a three. Taelon Peter sliced through the lane for a layup. Gainbridge Fieldhouse came alive. For a few panicked possessions, the Blazers looked like a team desperate to hold on.

Jrue Holiday had seen enough. He hit a clutch triple off a feed from Avdija to push the lead back to six. Avdija added two free throws. Indiana missed a layup and an open three in the final 90 seconds, and that was that. Blazers win.

What This Win Means for the Blazers

Portland is now 34-36, having won three of its last four games. More importantly, the Blazers leapfrogged the Golden State Warriors into the ninth seed in the West — putting them right in the thick of a wide-open play-in race with 12 games to go.

Interim head coach Tiago Splitter has preached consistency all season. Mental toughness for 48 minutes. This win was a step in that direction — though the Blazers will readily admit they almost let it slip away.

Pacers Extend Record Losing Streak to 15 Games

On the other side, the pain in Indianapolis runs deep. Indiana has now lost 15 consecutive games — the longest losing streak in franchise history. Pascal Siakam remains sidelined with a sprained right knee, and the Pacers, who pushed the Thunder to seven games in last year’s NBA Finals, now own the worst record in the league at 15-55.

Ivica Zubac led Indiana with 18 points. Jalen Slawson added 17 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. But it wasn’t nearly enough.

Up Next

The Blazers head to Minnesota on Friday, looking to build the kind of winning streak they haven’t managed since early February. The Pacers travel to San Antonio on Saturday, searching for any way to stop the bleeding.