Deandre Ayton ‘s return was a triumphant one as he posted a season-high 30 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, guiding the Portland Trail Blazers to a 128-118 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors during Saturday’s NBA action.
Ayton’s standout performance ended the Blazers’ three-game losing streak, showing his impact after missing five games due to a right hand sprain.
“I’ve been watching these dudes play. We’ve been trending, playing some good basketball and competing,” Ayton said. “I was just making sure my wheels were working and I could keep up with my team.”
The game was fiercely contested, with Portland managing to snap a losing streak and Toronto aiming to overcome recent struggles.
Despite efforts from Immanuel Quickley and Gary Trent Jr., who scored 29 and 23 points respectively for the Raptors, Toronto found itself faltering in overtime after managing to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation.
“Offensively I thought Portland brought a lot of physicality and as the game was progressing were were trying to figure out how to play against that physicality,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “In overtime, I felt we took good shots, they didn’t fall.”
The Trail Blazers also welcomed back rookie Scoot Henderson from an eight-game absence due to an adductor injury, although he was on a minutes restriction. Henderson contributed quickly, finishing with 13 points.
However, Portland faced challenges with the absence of key players such as Jerami Grant, Jabari Walker, and Malcolm Brogdon due to injuries. This did not deter the Blazers from establishing an early lead and maintaining it until halftime, driven by Ayton’s dominant performance.
“We were feeling ourselves just a little bit too much in that third quarter,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups observed. “We played like the game was over. This is the NBA, it’s never over. It was a good lesson for us.”
As the Raptors look to rebound against the Denver Nuggets and the Trail Blazers prepare to host the Boston Celtics, both teams will reflect on a game that showcased resilience, strategic play, and the impact of returning players.
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