Avdija scores 36 points to lead Trail Blazers to a 128-109 win over Nuggets

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Deni Avdija had 36 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 128-109 win over the Denver Nuggets, who were without star center Nikola Jokic for the third straight game.

Shaedon Sharpe added 23 points as the Trail Blazers dominated the second half (74-50) to cruise to their fourth straight victory. Portland remained two games behind Dallas and Phoenix for 10th place in the Western Conference and the final spot in the play-in tournament.

Aaron Gordon scored 23 points for Denver, which lost its second straight and is a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for third place in the West.

Portland’s Donovan Clingan and Anfernee Simons were both late scratches due to illness.

Denver led 59-54 at halftime and held their advantage until early in the third quarter when the Blazers went on a 14-0 run to take control.

Sharpe’s three-point play with 8:18 left in the third gave Portland its first lead at 69-67.

A 3-pointer by Peyton Watson sparked the Nuggets on an 11-2 run to tie it at 78. The teams traded baskets after that run before the Blazers closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to lead 88-82 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets pulled their starters down 118-98 with 4:19 left.

Nuggets: With Jokic nursing an ankle injury, the Nuggets have relied even more on Gordon, who has averaged 29 points in the three games Jokic has missed.

Trail Blazers: They honored their NBA Finals teams from 1990 and 1992. Rick Adelman, the coach of those teams, said he was grateful the Blazers honored those squads when they played against Denver where his son, David, is an assistant coach. “It’s a special night,” Adelman said.

Scoot Henderson’s putback dunk with 6:59 left in the third quarter brought the crowd to its feet, part of a 14-0 Blazers run.

Portland had a 26-10 advantage in second-chance points.

Nuggets: Play at Houston on Sunday night.

Trail Blazers: Host Boston on Sunday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) watches the ball after his shot was blocked by Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) tries to get around Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan looks up after the national anthem was played before an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) is fouled while going to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (24) tries to block a shot by Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle (4) shoots as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton signs a camera lens after an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, talks with Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan, second from left, while on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) gets a rebound against Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) tries to get around Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

HONG KONG (AP) — Global shares were mostly higher on Monday after gains in technology stocks snapped Wall Street’s four-week losing streak.

European markets opened higher. Britain's FTSE100 added 0.5% to 8,685.74 and the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.5% to 8,080.93.

Germany's DAX advanced 0.7% to 23,051.54 after the country's business activity in private sectors hit a ten-month high, with a smaller-than-expected contraction in manufacturing.

The future for the S&P 500 surged 1%, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 0.7% as investors awaited developments on U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Reports suggested that he may narrow his broad approach to focus on countries that run significant trade surpluses with the U.S., including many countries in Asia.

President Donald Trump has set an April 2 deadline to impose more tariffs on trading partners. It follows a series of other deadlines that have been set for tariffs only to be postponed, sometimes at the last minute.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang struck a conciliatory tone during a meeting with business leaders and U.S. Senator Steve Daines, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, who is the first member of Congress to visit Beijing since Trump took office in January.

Relations between the countries “have come to an important juncture,” Li said. “Our two sides need to choose dialogue over confrontation, win-win cooperation over zero-sum competition,” he said, adding that China hoped that the U.S. would work together to promote the steady and sustainable development of the China-U.S. relations.

The meeting also involved the leaders of several American businesses, including FedEx Corp. CEO Raj Subramaniam, Boeing Co.’s senior vice president Brendan Nelson, Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon and Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla.

“In recent days, Trump administration officials have signaled that the list of affected countries may not be universal, and existing tariffs — such as those on steel — may not necessarily be cumulative,” Junrong Yeap of IG said in a commentary, adding that , “optimism has surfaced that Trump’s tariff plans may once again be more bark than bite.”

Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.4% to 23,787.71, and the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.2% to 3,370.03.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 edged 0.2% lower to 37,608.49 after a preliminary report on manufacturing showed output falling at its fastest pace in a year, while new orders fell more quickly.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1%, closing at 7,936.90, while Korea's Kospi lost 0.4% to 2,632.07.

On Friday, the S&P 500 edged up 0.1%, gaining 0.5% for the week. But it was still down 4.8% so far this month.

The Dow industrials eked out a 0.1%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.5%.

Technology stocks bounced back to offset a big share of the declines elsewhere in the S&P 500. The sector has been at the center of much of the market's recent sell-off in a reversal from their market-driving gains throughout the previous year.

Stocks have been losing ground for weeks over uncertainty about the direction of the U.S. economy. A trade war between the U.S. and its key trading partners threatens to worsen inflation and hurt both consumers and businesses. Inflation remains stubbornly above the Federal Reserve's goal of 2% and tariffs could hurt the central bank's efforts to ease the rate of inflation.

A recent batch of economic reports on home sales, industrial production and unemployment reinforced the view that the economy is holding strong. But other reports on consumer sentiment and retail sales have revealed rising caution from consumers.

Businesses have been warning investors about tariffs, inflation and growing uncertainty about the impact to costs.

In other dealings Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil declined 15 cents to $68.13 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 17 cents to $71.99 per barrel.

The U.S. dollar rose to 149.62 Japanese yen from 149.37 yen. The euro inched up to $1.0840 from $1.0816.

People work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A stock market trader watches his monitors on the trading floor of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Germany, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Arne Dedert/dpa/dpa via AP)

The display board with the Dax curve in the trading hall of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Germany, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Arne Dedert/dpa/dpa via AP)

A currency trader reacts near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)