PORTLAND, Ore. — Deandre Ayton returned from a sprained right hand and had a game-high 30 points and 19 rebounds to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Toronto Raptors 128-118 in overtime Saturday night.
Dalano Banton had 25 points and Anfernee Simons added 23 to end Portland’s three-game losing streak. The Blazers (18-45) were playing the second straight game following a 123-107 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
Immanuel Quickley scored 29 points and Gary Trent Jr. added 23 for the Raptors, who have won just once in the last five games. Toronto (23-41) was coming off a 120-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Quickley’s layup cut it to 111-109 with just over a minute to play before Matisse Thybulle’s layup for Portland. Chris Boucher made two free throws for Toronto with 23.1 seconds left.
After a jump ball, Toronto unleashed a flurry of shots before Boucher’s layup tied the game with 0.7 seconds remaining. Portland passed the ball to Ayton under the net, but his attempt failed to send the game to overtime.
Ayton dunked to open the extra period. Simons’ 3 pushed the lead to 120-113 and Toronto couldn’t keep up.
“I watched these guys play. We were trendy, played good basketball and competed,” Ayton said. “I was just making sure my wheels were working and I could keep up with my team.”
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said his team looked tired heading into overtime.
“Offensively, I thought Portland brought a lot of physicality, and as the game went on, we were trying to figure out how to play against that physicality,” Rajakovic said. “In overtime, I felt we took good shots, they didn’t fall.”
Ayton and rookie Scoot Henderson both returned after lengthy absences. Ayton missed five games with a hand sprain, while Henderson missed eight games with a groin injury.
Henderson was limited in minutes but scored nine points in his first four minutes. He finished with 13.
But Portland was still without Jerami Grant (right hamstring), Jabari Walker (right hip) and Malcolm Brogdon (right elbow). Shaedon Sharpe was out after surgery.
Portland took a 22-8 lead after Simons’ 3-point basket in the first quarter. Portland pushed the lead to 38-18 in the second quarter.
Portland took a 63-46 halftime lead. Ayton led the way with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
But the big lead began to fade for Portland in the second half.
“We felt a little too much in that third quarter,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “We played like the game was over. It’s the NBA, it’s never over. It was a good lesson for us.
FOLLOWING
Raptors: Visit the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
Trail Blazers: Host the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
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