Blazers Torch Utah 112-90, Avdija and Lillard Lead Halloween Demolition

Portland dismantled Utah 112-90, building a 23-7 lead before the first quarter was even half over. Deni Avdija dropped 24 points and Damian Lillard added 22 as the Blazers turned a Halloween road trip into a statement.

The game was effectively over before most fans finished their popcorn. Lillard opened the scoring with a 21-foot pullup, and after Darryn Peterson's 25-foot three briefly gave Utah a 3-2 edge — swinging the home win probability from 40% to 45% — Portland responded with a sledgehammer. Lillard hit a 26-foot three off an Avdija assist, then knocked down a 24-foot step-back triple at the 6:07 mark after converting three free throws. Avdija piled on with a running layup and a 24-foot step-back three of his own, and Jrue Holiday added a 12-foot step-back and two free throws. By the time the first quarter horn sounded, Portland led 27-18 and the outcome was already a formality.

The second quarter was a burial. Lillard fed a 23-foot three to a teammate, Toumani Camara connected from 24 feet off an Avdija dish, and Portland pushed the lead to 34-18 — a 16-point gap that Utah never seriously threatened. Avdija kept attacking the line, converting four consecutive free throws in a two-minute stretch to extend the margin further. Scoot Henderson chipped in 14 points, 3 rebounds, and a game-high 3 steals, while Holiday finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. This was a five-man wrecking crew operating in unison, and it looks like Portland's depth is a genuine problem for opponents to solve. With Ja Morant out at least four weeks with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain per ESPN, the Blazers are leaning on this collective — and tonight, it worked to a ruthless degree.

For Utah, Peterson was the lone bright spot with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Ace Bailey showed flashes early with back-to-back buckets to briefly put the Jazz ahead 7-6. But that was the ceiling. Blake Hinson and Tony Bradley were both listed as DNPs by coach's decision, and the Jazz simply had no answer for Portland's length and ball movement once the Blazers found their rhythm. The final margin of 22 points flatters Utah slightly — the game felt more lopsided than that for long stretches. Portland appears to be a team with real teeth this season, and anyone who watched the first quarter tonight already knows it.