Trail Blazers hold off the Heat for win in Miami

Portland led throughout the second half en route to a 116-107 win over Miami on Tuesday night.

Anfernee Simons hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second quarter to push the Blazers into the lead, and DeAndre Ayton scored a tip-in in the final seconds to send Portland into halftime with a 61-55 lead.

Portland grew the margin to as many as 27 points in the third quarter and remained in command into the final minutes.

The Trail Blazers held a commanding 108-86 lead early in the fourth quarter when Robert Williams III blocked a Heat shot at the rim, and Deni Avdija zipped the length of the court for a layup at the other end.

“Even when we made mistakes, we played so hard, it was able to cover up for it,” Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups said.

A series of Miami free throws closed the margin to single digits as the clock dipped under three minutes to play, but Jerami Grant sank three straight free throws to secure the victory.

Simons led the Blazers with 24 points on 6-of-12 (50%) shooting from 3-point range. Ayton finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

“I thought D.A., to me he had his best game of the year,” Billups said. “He was physically imposing out there.”

Portland (15-28) continues its three-game trip to the Southeast with a game at Orlando at 4 p.m. Thursday.