By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Deni Avdija led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 112–90 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday, helping his team respond to its first defeat of the season with a commanding home performance.
The Israeli forward did most of his scoring damage before the break, collecting 19 points and converting 10 of 11 free throws in the first half. Portland took a 59–42 lead into halftime and extended the margin to 26 during the third quarter.
Damian Lillard supported Avdija with 22 points, while Belgian forward Toumani Camara, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday contributed 14 apiece. Despite missing injured guards Ja Morant and Shaedon Sharpe, Portland improved to 4–1 after Thursday’s loss to Memphis.
Lauri Markkanen returned from a two-game absence caused by a sprained wrist but struggled to find his shooting touch. The Finnish forward finished with 13 points on 3-for-14 shooting, while rookie Darryn Peterson led Utah with 16. Keyonte George was held to eight points.
Portland established control with a 17–0 first-quarter run, keeping Utah scoreless for nearly six minutes. The Jazz shot just 37.1% from the field and committed 20 turnovers, suffering their fourth consecutive defeat.
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