Trail Blazers Highlights: Portland Falls to Pelicans Despite DeAndre Ayton's Big Night

The Blazers' miserable season is almost over.

Apr 9, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) shoots the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans. / Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

In a game where they briefly looked fantastic, the Portland Trail Blazers eventually at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, 110-100.

Portland led 51-41 in the second quarter, but that advantage quickly evaporated as Trey Murphy III took over en route to a stellar 31-point performance. Along with Murphy, former Blazers star guard CJ McCollum put up 29 points on efficient shooting.

For the Blazers, rookie point guard Scoot Henderson had 19 points and 15 assists, showcasing his playmaking and improved control over the team's offense. Unfortunately, his 7-of-18 shooting and whopping eight turnovers led to him putting up a +/- of -31.

Portland center DeAndre Ayton added 30 points and 13 rebounds on 15-of-22 shooting, but he too put up an atrocious on/off line of -26. He and Henderson both share struggles defensively, leaving Portland with limited rim protection and poor ball security from two key players.

The Blazers have three more games this season, where they'll face off with the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Sacramento Kings. Given that they're at least projected to have a top-5 pick in this summer's upcoming draft, however, things are looking up for the future. If we can survive these next three games, that is.