Shaedon Sharpe scores 29 as Trail Blazers beat Cavaliers 103-95 for second straight solid road win

By TOM WITHERS

CLEVELAND (AP) Shaedon Sharpe scored 29 points, rookie Duop Reath added a season-high 13 and the Portland Trail Blazers got their second straight impressive road win this week, 103-95 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.

The Blazers came in just 5-12 overall and 3-7 away from home before rallying to stun the Cavs, who had a massive letdown following a solid 23-point win over Atlanta on Tuesday in the NBA's In-Season Tournament.

On Monday, Portland won 114-110 at Indiana.

Sharpe went 11 of 15 from the field and added 10 rebounds for the Blazers, who scored 12 straight points in the fourth quarter to separate from the Cavs. Cleveland went more than five minutes without a field goal.

Sharpe's biggest bucket came with 1:33 left on a driving layup that put Portland ahead 99-91. After it dropped, he stood on the baseline and flexed for the crowd while shooting a glance at Cleveland's bench.

Donovan Mitchell scored 23 and Evan Mobley 20 for the Cavs. Darius Garland had 15 points, but the All-Star point guard was sloppy with the ball, committing eight turnovers.

It was a poor performance for Cleveland, which is finally healthy and had been gaining some momentum.

The Blazers trailed by 12 midway through the third before using a 16-3 run, capped by Matisse Thybulle's short putback, to take a 74-73 lead.

Garland's runner just before the horn put Cleveland ahead 75-74 going into the fourth.

The teams were tied at 83-all before the Blazers went on their game-deciding run, which Reath capped with a 3-pointer from the corner with 6:09 left.

Cleveland appeared on the verge of taking control early, outscoring Portland 15-2 in the first 5:38 of the second quarter to open a 40-24 lead.

However, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups went back to his starting lineup and his club responded with a 14-2 spurt to pull within 46-40 at half.

The Cavs were guilty of settling for shots, a fact underscored by them attempting just one free throw in the first 24 minutes - on a defensive three-second technical.

Before the game, Billups said the reason his team starting to find its groove was simple.

“Healthy bodies,” he said.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: At Utah on Saturday.

Cavaliers: At Detroit on Saturday.

---

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba