NBA Notes: Blazers, Deni Avdija, Kings, Devin Carter, Wizards

Trail Blazers

Deni Avdija poured in 35 points as the Trail Blazers defeated the Clippers 116-97 on Friday, putting themselves in position to claim the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

Donovan Clingan added 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Robert Williams III contributed 13 points and 10 boards. Portland controlled the glass, outrebounding Los Angeles 46-35, and held up well in the turnover battle.

The Blazers led by 20 in the first half, but the Clippers briefly surged ahead late in the third quarter. Portland responded quickly, regaining control early in the fourth behind a series of key plays from Williams and Avdija.

A 3-point play from Avdija midway through the fourth helped spark a decisive run, and he later knocked down a 3-pointer to push the lead to 16 and effectively seal the game.

Portland can secure a spot in the 7-8 play-in game with a win over Sacramento on Sunday. Shaedon Sharpe also returned from a lengthy absence and scored eight points in 15 minutes.

Kings

Devin Carter recorded a career-high 29 points as the Kings defeated the Warriors 124-118 in their final home game of the season.

Maxime Raynaud added 23 points for Sacramento, which remained tied with Utah for the fourth-worst record in the NBA despite the victory.

While the win provided a bright spot, it also prevented the Kings from improving their draft lottery position heading into the final day of the regular season.

Wizards

The Wizards secured the NBA’s worst record with a 140-117 loss to the Heat, falling to 17-64 on the season.

Washington has now lost nine straight games and 25 of its last 26, continuing a prolonged stretch of struggles.

The defeat also puts the Wizards in rare company. They became the first team in NBA history to lose at least 64 games in three consecutive seasons.

Bub Carrington led Washington with 30 points, while Bilal Coulibaly added 25, including 19 in the first half.