Shaedon Sharpe poured in 36 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 112-103 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night, keeping their postseason aspirations in the Western Conference alive.
Sharpe, a native of London, Ontario, teamed with fellow Canadian Dalano Banton in Portland’s backcourt. Banton added 23 points for the Trail Blazers (34-43), who have now won two straight games. Sharpe also recorded six rebounds and five assists.
Deni Avdija delivered a strong performance with 26 points and 15 rebounds, helping Portland close the gap behind 10th-place Sacramento, which was idle.
RJ Barrett, from Mississauga, Ontario, led the Raptors (28-49) with 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Orlando Robinson contributed 14 points, Ochai Agbaji had 15, and A.J. Lawson of Brampton, Ontario, came off the bench to score 13.
Game Takeaways
Trail Blazers: Sharpe set the tone early, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and nine more in the second. He continued his offensive outburst with seven points in the opening five minutes of the third.
Raptors: With the team already looking ahead to next season, coach Darko Rajakovic prioritized player development, giving extended minutes to younger talent. Toronto’s bench outscored Portland’s 47-14, though the Trail Blazers relied on a tighter rotation to secure the win.
Key Moment
Sharpe capped a 17-8 Portland run with a driving layup in the final seconds of the third quarter, giving the Trail Blazers a seven-point lead they maintained throughout the final period.
Key Stat
Portland’s aggressive rebounding paid off, converting 22 second-chance points compared to Toronto’s 11.
Up next
Trail Blazers: Conclude their five-game road swing in Chicago on Friday night.
Raptors: Return home to host the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
