Field Level Media
13 Apr 2026, 08:49 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images)
Deni Avdija recorded 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and the Portland Trail Blazers secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a 122-110 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Jrue Holiday added 23 points and seven rebounds for Portland (42-40), which will play beyond the regular season for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign.
Toumani Camara and Scoot Henderson added 15 points apiece and Donovan Clingan had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.
Portland will visit the No. 7 Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in the play-in round. The winner goes directly to the NBA playoffs while the loser will have a second opportunity on Friday.
Precious Achiuwa registered 27 points and 11 rebounds and Nique Clifford added 24 points and seven rebounds for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and nine rebounds for Sacramento (22-60), which finished with the second-most losses in franchise history. The Kings went 17-65 in 2008-09.
Sacramento was without DeMar DeRozan (hamstring) for the third straight game.
Holiday's 20-footer gave Portland a 118-104 lead with 2:51 remaining and he knocked down a driving bank shot 42 seconds later as the Trail Blazers wrapped up the No. 8 seed in style.
Portland began the day with the same record as the Los Angeles Clippers but holding the tiebreaker advantage. The Clippers finished beating the Golden State Warriors shortly after the Trail Blazers closed out their win. Los Angeles is the No. 9 seed and will host No. 10 Golden State on Wednesday.
The Trail Blazers shot 46.5% from the field, including 16 of 46 from 3-point range, while finishing 4-0 against the Kings this season.
Sacramento made 48.2% of its shots and was 7 of 21 from behind the arc.
Portland outscored the Kings 44-24 in the second quarter to hold a 77-57 halftime lead. Avdija had 17 points in the half for the Trail Blazers while Achiuwa and Clifford scored 14 apiece in the half for Sacramento.
The Kings darted out of the gates in the third quarter with eight straight points as part of a 17-4 burst. Raynaud capped it with a dunk to bring Sacramento within 81-74 with 6:43 left in the period.
Portland pushed its lead back to 13 on Henderson's three-point play with 2:40 left in the quarter.
The Trail Blazers led 96-84 entering the final stanza. Sacramento was within single digits at 104-95 as Doug McDermott buried a 3-pointer with 8:13 to play before Portland went on a finishing kick.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Auckland Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Auckland Sun.
More InformationAUGUSTA, Ga. -- Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods and now Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman emerged from a tight pack of contenders...
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: U.S. Vice President JD Vance said talks between the United States and Iran ended early on April 12 without a peace...
ABUJA, Nigeria: More than 300 terrorism suspects were convicted by a court in the Nigerian capital of Abuja in a mass trial that spanned...
DUBLIN, Ireland: A man in his 40s who allegedly caused criminal damage to a US military aircraft at Shannon Airport was arrested on...
ROME, Italy: On April 11, Pope Leo XIV denounced the delusion of omnipotence fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded that...
LONDON, U.K.: Prince Harry has been sued for defamation by a charity in Africa he cofounded to honor his mother, the late Princess...
SINGAPORE/HONG KONG: A ceasefire between the United States and Iran has lifted market sentiment but is unlikely to ease the aviation...
(Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images) The Los Angeles Clippers sent a message to their play-in opponent Sunday night, riding...
(Photo credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images) Deni Avdija recorded 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and the Portland Trail Blazers...
(Photo credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images) Jamaree Bouyea scored a career-high 27 points to help the Phoenix Suns close the regular...
Dhaka [Bangladesh], April 12 (ANI): The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed their 15-player squad for the upcoming ODI series...
(Photo credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images) The Golden State Warriors could have a hand in their play-in opponent when they wrap...
