Shaedon Sharpe scored 27 points with seven rebounds and four steals to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 127-110 victory over the Miami Heat at the Moda Center on Thursday night.
Portland improves to 23-22, marking its first mark above .500 in 45 games since the 2020-21 season, while Miami falls to 23-22.
Deni Avdija added 20 points before leaving with a back injury, and Caleb Love also contributed 20 points, with Toumani Camara scoring 16 points and Jrue Holiday 15.
The Trail Blazers led by as many as 21 points and won 11 of their last 14 games, posting a 9-2 record in January, the best in the NBA.
Bam Adebayo scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Miami, while Norman Powell added 18 points and Simone Fontecchio 17. Despite Adebayo’s efforts, the Heat couldn’t keep pace as Portland surged in the third quarter.
The Trail Blazers trailed 64-63 at halftime before opening the third quarter on a 17-2 run, led by Sharpe’s 24 points in the second half. Portland finished with 20 made 3-pointers, with Sharpe shooting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc, compared to Miami’s total of nine.
Portland outscored the Heat in transition and forced turnovers that fueled the late surge, highlighting their defensive intensity. Avdija’s departure limited the bench depth, but the starters and secondary scorers maintained the lead and finished the game efficiently.
Miami travels to Utah on Saturday in an attempt to halt a three-game skid, while Portland hosts the Toronto Raptors on Friday to continue their hot streak.
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