DENI Avdija had 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Portland Trail Blazers erased a 22-point deficit to beat the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-119, on Wednesday night (Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, PH time).
Jrue Holiday added 22 points, including two clutch free throws that put Portland ahead 121-118 with six seconds left. Jerami Grant scored 20 off the bench as the Blazers (5-3) handed the Thunder (8-1) their first loss of the season.
Isaiah Joe was fouled on a jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining, but a review showed his toe was on the three-point line. He made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second, and Oklahoma City failed to score on the final tip-in attempt.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points and Aaron Wiggins added 27. Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, and Alex Caruso rested after Tuesday’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Holiday’s jumper gave Portland its first lead at 97-96 with 6:44 left, followed by a three-pointer to make it 100-96. Wiggins briefly put OKC back ahead, but Grant’s jumper made it 105-104, and the Blazers held on despite a late Thunder surge.
Avdija missed his first 10 shots before hitting his first basket late in the third quarter, sparking the comeback. Duop Reath’s buzzer-beating three-pointer made it 86-81 entering the fourth.
The Thunder led 41-21 after the first period, but Reath’s three three-pointers in the second quarter helped Portland close the gap.
Lakers 118, Spurs 116
Luka Doncic had 35 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds, and five steals as the Los Angeles Lakers survived a wild finish to edge the San Antonio Spurs, 118-116.
The Lakers closed on a 21-10 run but nearly blew it after an inbound violation with 1.2 seconds left. Julian Champagnie drew a foul while trying to tip in the pass but missed his first free throw, and the second rimmed out at the buzzer.
Deandre Ayton added 22 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles, which rallied from a nine-point deficit midway through the fourth. Doncic hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 2:31 left despite shooting just 9-for-27.
Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 19 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 1:39 remaining. Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan each scored 16 for the Spurs, who have lost two straight after a 5-0 start.
Pelicans nip Mavericks
Saddiq Bey scored a season-high 22 points as the New Orleans Pelicans edged the Dallas Mavericks, 101-99, for their second straight win after a 0-6 start.
Jeremiah Fears and Jose Alvarado had 13 points each, while Herbert Jones added 12. The Pelicans played without Zion Williamson, sidelined for at least a week with a strained hamstring.
Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 20 points. P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford scored 15 apiece as the Mavericks dropped their third game in a row.
Elsewhere, the Detroit Pistons beat Utah 114-103, Cleveland Cavaliers topped Philadelphia 76ers 132-121, Boston Celtics routed Washington Wizards 136-107, Brooklyn Nets beat Indiana Pacers 112-103, New York Knicks crushed Minnesota Timberwolves 137-114, Houston Rockets downed Memphis Grizzlies 124-109, Denver Nuggets beat Miami Heat 122-112, and the Sacramento Kings edged the Golden State Warriors 121-116. / FROM THE WIRES