Avdija and Lillard Power Blazers Past Jazz 112-90

Portland wasted no time putting their first defeat of the season behind them, racing away from Utah for a 112-90 win in a Halloween matinee at the Delta Center on Saturday. Deni Avdija led all scorers with 24 points and Damian Lillard added 22 as the Trail Blazers improved to 4-1, winning for the first time since losing star guard Ja Morant, who is expected to miss most of November with a strained left hamstring. The game was effectively decided in the first quarter, when Portland ripped off a 17-0 run, holding Utah scoreless for nearly six minutes, to open a 23-7 lead. Avdija had 19 points by half-time, including 10 free throws, as Portland took a 59-42 advantage into the break and stretched the lead to 28 points. Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara and Scoot Henderson each scored 14, while Donovan Clingan grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Utah shot just 37.1 percent from the field, and rookie Darryn Peterson's 16 points led the Jazz, who have now lost four in a row. Lauri Markkanen, back after missing two games with a sprained wrist, managed 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting, and Utah's leading scorer Keyonte George finished with eight. Portland's defensive effort was a sharp improvement after conceding an average of 124.3 points across their previous three games, and the Jazz were held below 105 points for the first time this season.