PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jrue Holiday had 27 points, including seven 3-pointers, and the Trail Blazers downed the New Orleans Pelicans 118-106 on Thursday night with Portland's new owners looking on.
Deni Avdija added 26 points for the Blazers, who have won three straight and eight of their last 10 games. Toumani Camara finished with 23 points.
Jeremiah Fears had 21 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who have lost 11 of their last 12 games.
After trailing
at the half, the Blazers went up 106-96 on Holiday's deep 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. His 3 with 1:21 left made it 116-105 and all but sealed it for Portland. Holiday finished with nine assists.
The Blazers have already clinched a play-in game. The team sits a half-game back of the eighth-place Clippers. If the Blazers can move into eighth, they'd have to win one game to advance to the playoffs, whereas in ninth, they'd have to win two.
Members of the Blazers' new ownership group were sitting courtside during the game. The NBA Board of Governors on Monday approved the reported $4.25 billion sale of the team by Paul Allen’s estate and the new owners took over the team on Tuesday.
The group is led by investor Tom Dundon and includes Portland-based Sheel Tyle, the co-founder of investment firm Collective Global; Marc Zahr, co-president of Blue Owl Capital; the Cherng Family Trust, the investment firm of the co-founders of Panda Express, and others.
The Pelicans went up 48-39 in the first half but Portland closed the gap with a pair of 3-pointers from Scoot Henderson and Avdija that made it 60-57. The Pelicans led 64-60 at the break.
Matisse Thybulle hit a 3-pointer that gave the Blazers a 77-76 lead in the third. Camara pushed the lead to 83-76 with another 3.
The Pelicans visit the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
The Trail Blazers visit the Nuggets on Monday.
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