INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jerami Grant scored 34 points and Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 13 rebounds to power the Portland Trail Blazers to a 114-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Malcolm Brogdon added 24 points for the Trail Blazers, including a game-sealing basket in the closing seconds.
“I got some shots to go,” said Grant, who hit 12 of 18 shots. “I just wanted to be aggressive.”
Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana with 33 points. Bruce Brown, Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin each had 11, but the Pacers were slowed by 20 turnovers and 8-for-33 shooting from 3-point range.
“It was a really poor performance, uninspired in many ways,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.
“Getting up for In-Season Tournament games and thinking that we can walk out and just beat other teams is ignorant. I’ve got to do a better job of convincing our guys that, so it’s very disappointing. We all own it. I own it just as much as anybody in there.”
Following a Portland turnover, Brown scored to cut the deficit to 112-110 before Brogdon’s driving 7-footer put the Trail Blazers ahead 114-110 with 6 seconds left. The Pacers’ Buddy Hield missed a long 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining.
Rookie Scoot Henderson sank a 12-footer at the end of the third quarter to tie it at 83-all. The teams then traded the lead for the next few minutes. Grant put the Trail Blazers ahead for good at 96-94 with a driving floater with 6:36 to play.
The Trail Blazers had surrendered a 26-point lead in the third quarter in a 108-102 loss at Milwaukee on Sunday.
“We knew we had to stay poised,” Grant said.
Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said he was proud of the team bouncing back after the emotional loss.
“We knew what we had to do to give our team a chance playing against a team that is so brilliant offensively like they are,” Billups said. “We said we had to win first 10 seconds of every possession if we are going to give ourselves a chance to win. For 70% of the game, we did that. We are trying to establish ourselves as a good defensive team and I thought today was an important step.”
The Trail Blazers trailed by four after the first quarter before moving into a 65-60 halftime lead. Portland sank 7 of 11 3-pointers in the first half, while the Pacers were 5 off 15. Brogdon, who played three seasons with the Pacers, led Portland with 15 points in the opening half.
Pacers forward Jalen Smith had to be helped to the locker room with a heel contusion with 4:09 left in the third quarter. Smith had nine points.
Aaron Nesmith returned for the Pacers after missing the previous two games with a wrist sprain.
The Pacers shot 47.7% for the game while the Trail Blazers made 47.1%.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Cleveland on Thursday.
Pacers: At Miami for games on Thursday and Saturday.
News Related-
Durant, Booker lead Suns to fifth straight win, beating skidding Warriors 123-115
-
Trail Blazers snap 8-game skid with 121-105 victory over the Jazz
-
Dallas blows a 20-point lead in the 4th, but Kyrie's 3-pointer pushes Mavs past Lakers 104-101
-
Edwards scores 31 as Wolves beat Embiid-less 76ers 112-99
-
Durant, Booker lead Suns to fifth straight win, beat skidding Warriors 123-115
-
Chris Paul ejected by old nemesis Scott Foster in return to Phoenix
-
Kawhi Leonard leads Clippers past Spurs amid boos that prompt Popovich to admonish crowd
-
Williamson, Ingram lead the Pelicans past the Kings 117-112
-
Kyle Lowry makes 7 3-pointers, scores season-high 28 to lead Heat to 129-96 win over sluggish Cavs
-
Green scores 34 to help Rockets snap 3-game skid with 111-91 win over Grizzlies
-
Franz Wagner has big 2nd half as Magic hold off Nikola Jokic, Nuggets for 5th straight win
-
'Not who we are': Gregg Popovich grabs mic, tells Spurs fans to stop booing Kawhi Leonard
-
Gilgeous-Alexander scores 40, Thunder beat Bulls for sixth straight victory
-
LaMelo Ball, Hornets rally from 19-point deficit to hand Wizards their 7th straight loss, 117-114