Avdija's 28 Powers Blazers Past Nuggets 118-110 to Stay Perfect on the Road

The Portland Trail Blazers continued their perfect start on the road with a 118-110 win over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Monday night. Deni Avdija led Portland with 28 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, while Donovan Clingan added 17 points and 18 rebounds and Damian Lillard scored 20. Jrue Holiday came off the bench to add 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as Portland improved to 5-1 on the season and 4-0 away from home. Denver had looked in control early, building a 14-point lead, but the Nuggets faded badly in the second half as Portland outscored them by 16 points after the break. Jamal Murray led Denver with a game-high 35 points, and Nikola Jokic added 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, but even a late Murray-inspired rally that cut the gap to 110-107 was not enough. A three-pointer from Toumani Camara and a floater from Avdija sealed the win for the visitors. For Denver, now 3-3, the defeat raised fresh questions about an ageing core, while Portland's young, quick side looks increasingly like a team to take seriously.