Avdija scored 28 and the Trail Blazers moved to 4-0 on the road by beating Denver 118-110

Deni Avdija scored 28 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 118-110 on Monday night at Ball Arena.

Avdija scored nine of his 28 in the fourth quarter, and Portland improved to 5-1 and 4-0 on the road.

Donovan Clingan had 17 points and 18 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday came off the bench for 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Jamal Murray led Denver with 35 points, and Nikola Jokic finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

The quarter scores were 19-31, 39-35, 27-21 and 33-23.

Portland lost the first quarter badly and still won the game by eight, which is the story of the night.

Denver led 31-19 after the first quarter and by double digits in the first half.

The Trail Blazers outscored Denver 39-35 in the second quarter and then controlled the second half.

The third quarter was where the game flipped: Portland held Denver to 21 points and took the lead for good.

Denver's offense slowed to a half-court grind in the second half, and Jokic did not record a rebound or an assist in the fourth quarter.

Avdija's night was efficient rather than loud: 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting, with most of them coming inside the arc.

His fourth-quarter scoring came in a five-minute stretch that turned a four-point game into a double-digit lead.

Clingan's 18 rebounds were the other half of the win, and they came against a Denver frontcourt that usually controls the glass.

Portland won the rebounding battle, which is the first time that has happened against the Nuggets this season.

Holiday's near triple-double off the bench gave Portland a second playmaker when the starters rested.

Avdija's scoring has been the most consistent part of Portland's start, and he has now led the team in scoring in four of six games.

Denver's problem was the second half. The Nuggets scored fewer than fifty points after halftime and could not get stops when the game tightened.

Murray's 35 points kept Denver close, but the Nuggets' supporting cast produced little in the fourth quarter.

Jokic entered the fourth on the verge of his 201st career triple-double and finished without an assist or a rebound in the period.

Denver has now lost two of its first three home games, and its only win came in overtime over New Orleans after rallying from 23 down.

The Nuggets are 3-3 and have not yet played a complete game this season.

Denver's defense has allowed at least one hundred and fifteen in four of six games, which is the number behind the five hundred record.

Portland's schedule is a stretch of six of seven games on the road, which makes the 4-0 road record more notable.

The Trail Blazers opened the season with a home win over Phoenix and have not lost since their only defeat.

Denver's start has been uneven, and the defense that carried the team last season has not been there consistently.

The Western Conference standings are tight, and this result moves Portland into the top group for now.

Both teams are in the middle of a difficult part of the schedule.

The Trail Blazers have won their last four road games by an average of nine points.

The Trail Blazers' start is the story of the West so far, and the road record is the part that matters most.

Portland has won with defense and rebounding rather than shooting, which is a formula that travels.

Denver's issue is not talent but execution in the second half, and it has now happened three times in six games.

Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Houston are all ahead of the Nuggets in the early standings.

Both teams play again this week, and both will be measured by whether this game repeats.

Denver's next three games are at home, which is the best chance to fix the defense.

Portland's 39-point second quarter was its highest-scoring period of the season.

The Trail Blazers shot roughly their season average from the field and from three, which is roughly their season average.

Denver shot a better percentage and still lost, because it took fewer shots and turned the ball over too often.

Clingan's 18 rebounds included several on the offensive end, which produced second-chance points in the fourth quarter.

Portland's bench outscored Denver's by double digits, the fourth time that has happened this season.

Portland's fourth-quarter rebounding was the difference in the final five minutes.

Portland's next game is the fifth of the road trip, against a team with a winning record.

Denver's next game is at home against a Western Conference opponent, which is a chance to steady the season.

The Nuggets' next three opponents all have winning records, which makes the execution issue more urgent.

The Trail Blazers' next three games include two against teams above five hundred.

Neither team is at full strength, and both have been managing injuries in the rotation.

Portland's next game is against a team that also protects the ball, which will test the turnover advantage.