Jerami Grant’s late burst seals Portland’s 108-104 escape in Minnesota

Portland walks into Minneapolis, builds a 18-point lead, nearly gives it all back, and still walks out with the win because Jerami Grant keeps answering every Minnesota punch. The Blazers’ 108-104 victory never feels safe — not with the Wolves trimming the margin possession by possession in the second half — but Grant’s shot-making late, paired with Deni Avdija’s steady creation and Donovan Clingan’s presence at both ends, is just enough to hold off the charge.

The first half belongs to Portland’s offense and tempo. The Blazers open with a 33-point first quarter, spacing the floor and forcing Minnesota to chase. By the time the game reaches 51-68 late in the second, Portland has clearly found the seams in the defense. Then Minnesota finally gets a foothold: B. Hyland drills a 25-foot running pull-up at 59-68, the kind of shot that can quiet a visiting team and flip the energy in a building. That 9-0 burst doesn’t erase the deficit, but it matters. It tells the Wolves they can get back into it if they can string together stops.

That’s exactly what the third quarter starts to look like. Minnesota comes out of the break with more resistance, and J. McDaniels finishes a running finger roll layup to cap a 10-point run and cut it to 68-72. Suddenly the 18-point cushion is gone, and the game starts living on the edge. The lead keeps changing hands — 17 lead changes overall — but Portland keeps just enough of an edge because Grant and Avdija keep finding answers. Grant finishes with 26 points on 62% shooting, and every time Minnesota threatens to take control, he has a response ready.

The final five minutes turn into a possession game, and that’s where the Blazers’ best players separate themselves. At 4:00, Jerami Grant scores on a layup to tie it at 96-96. Minnesota responds, but Portland keeps leaning on its shot-makers: Julius Randle hits a 9-foot driving floater at 2:48 to make it 99-100, then Donovan Clingan swats a shot at 2:24 to preserve the tie and swing the momentum back toward Portland’s side. The biggest shot of the night comes at 1:40, when Grant drills a 24-foot three to put Portland up 103-100. That’s the kind of possession the Blazers will love on film — calm spacing, confident catch-and-shoot execution, and a star forward willing the game into a winning position.

Minnesota still has life. Randle answers with a turnaround jumper at 0:53.2 to make it 104-103, and the Wolves are suddenly one stop from taking control. But Grant isn’t done. At 0:22.2, he knocks down another three — this time off Jrue Holiday’s 12th assist — to push Portland back in front 106-104. On the final possession window, Clingan records a steal with 7.7 seconds left, effectively ending it. That sequence summarizes the night: Minnesota repeatedly gets within a possession, but Portland makes the cleaner plays when the floor tightens.

The box score reflects how competitive this was at the point guard and frontcourt levels. Deni Avdija scores 25 with 8 rebounds and 5 assists, filling gaps all over the floor. Clingan posts 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists, giving Portland a legitimate two-way anchor in a game that needed every one of his touches. For Minnesota, Rudy Gobert’s 18 points and 15 rebounds and Jaden McDaniels’ 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals kept the Wolves in striking distance, while Jrue Holiday’s 12 assists helped fuel the comeback push. Still, the Wolves can’t fully climb out of the early hole, and the biggest lead they ever hold is just three.

For Portland, this is the kind of road win that matters in the standings and in the locker room. It wasn’t clean, and the Blazers had to survive a game that kept leaning toward a Minnesota comeback, but they got the final three-minute execution they needed. If this group is going to keep climbing, this is the blueprint: trust Grant late, let Avdija handle pressure release duties, and use Clingan’s length to protect narrow leads. Minnesota, meanwhile, will look at the missed opportunity — a game it nearly flipped despite trailing by 18 — and know that the margin for error is shrinking as the playoff race tightens.