Shaedon Sharpe poured in a season-high 35 points and Deni Avdija added 32 as the Portland Trail Blazers topped the New Orleans Pelicans 125–117 on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.
Sharpe was perfect inside the arc, going 11-for-11 on two-point attempts — the most by a Blazers player without a miss since Calvin Natt went 13-for-13 on March 18, 1982. Avdija continued his red-hot streak with his fifth straight game of 25-plus points, the longest by a Portland player since Damian Lillard’s 19-game run in the 2022–23 season.
Derik Queen led New Orleans with 26 points, and Saddiq Bey added 25 as the Pelicans dropped their third consecutive game.
The Pelicans held a slim 59–57 halftime lead before the Blazers erupted for a 38–26 third-quarter surge to take control. Both teams were shorthanded — New Orleans was without Zion Williamson (hamstring), Dejounte Murray (leg), and Jordan Poole (knee), while Portland missed Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, and Blake Wesley due to injuries.
Sharpe and Avdija combined for 58 points two nights earlier in a narrow loss to Orlando, but this time their offensive firepower carried Portland to victory.
The Trail Blazers visit the Houston Rockets on Friday night, while the Pelicans return home to host the Los Angeles Lakers.
