Holiday’s 30 and Avdija’s near-triple-double sink Clippers

Portland doesn’t need a miracle in this one — it just needs to keep answering every Clippers push, and that’s exactly what happens in a 114-104 road win at Crypto.com Arena. The Blazers come out sharp, control the tempo, and build a lead that gets as large as 19 before Los Angeles can really settle in. The Clippers get within striking distance a few different times, but Portland keeps landing the next punch, and the biggest reason is the dual pressure of Jrue Holiday’s shot-making and Deni Avdija’s all-around control.

The first quarter is competitive, but Portland sets the tone early by matching the Clippers’ physicality and spacing the floor. Portland edges the opening frame 34-31, then turns the screws in the second quarter with an 8-0 burst that starts at 37-40 and jumps to 37-48. Toumani Camara is in the middle of that run with a 25-foot three, and the Blazers keep extending from there. Another 8-0 surge follows when they go from 39-48 to 39-56, and even the scoreboard at halftime — 62-46 Portland — reflects how efficiently the visitors are finding clean looks. The key number is 19: that’s the biggest Portland lead, and it comes from a steady accumulation of smart possessions, not one explosive run.

Los Angeles does show life in the third. Brook Lopez knocks down a 25-foot three during an 8-0 Clippers burst, trimming Portland’s edge from 69-56 to 71-62 and briefly creating the sense that the building might tilt. But Portland answers again. The Blazers never let that stretch become a full-on avalanche, and a technical free throw from Jrue Holiday is part of the response as Portland reasserts control. That sequence matters because it prevents the Clippers from getting the game to one possession before the fourth. Instead, Portland carries a 91-74 cushion into the final period, which is the difference between a tense finish and a manageable close.

The last five minutes are where the Clippers make their most serious effort, but Portland still has the sharper execution. Jeremy Miller cuts for a layup with 3:53 left, Donovan Clingan rolls hard for a dunk at 3:27, and then Darius Garland buries a 27-foot three at 3:13 to keep the Blazers comfortably ahead at 109-97. Even when John Collins answers with a tip layup and a steal later in the quarter, Portland doesn’t blink. Jrue Holiday then steps into a 26-foot three with 1:22 to play, and that’s the dagger — a clean, confident shot that pushes the margin back to 112-99. Portland’s closing sequence is calm and efficient, capped by C. Love’s driving layup and K. Sanders’ driving dunk to seal the 114-104 final.

Holiday is the headline, and he earns it. He pours in 30 points, hits seven threes, and gives Portland a late-game shot-maker when the Clippers are trying to press. Avdija is right there behind him with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, controlling possession after possession like a point forward and keeping the offense organized. Kawhi Leonard’s 23 points and eight boards keep L.A. afloat, and Garland adds 20 with timely shot-making, but Portland’s depth and shot discipline are what separate these teams tonight. The Blazers don’t just win the shot-making battle — they win the stretches that matter most.

This is the kind of road result that travels. Portland improves its standing with a win over a Clippers team that couldn’t generate enough sustained stops, and the Blazers leave with a performance built on structure, spacing, and two-way composure. If Holiday keeps scoring like this and Avdija keeps filling the box score without forcing the issue, Portland can keep climbing in the Western Conference picture. For L.A., the margin for error is shrinking, and a night where the biggest deficit was only four still ends with the Clippers chasing the game for most of the second half.