The Portland Trail Blazers needed a spark Thursday night, and they got it from an unexpected source. Down their leading scorer Deni Avdija and struggling to find rhythm on offense, it was the bench unit that flipped the script and powered Portland to a 117-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Shaedon Sharpe led the way with 24 points, but this game wasn’t about the headliner. It was about the supporting cast stepping into the spotlight - and delivering.
Caleb Love, Rayan Rupert, Duop Reath, and Robert Williams III didn’t just keep the Blazers afloat. They turned the tide.
A Bench Mob Takeover
With 4:36 left in the third quarter, Portland trailed by nine and looked flat. At that point, they were shooting a brutal 6-of-33 from deep - just 18.1%.
But the bench unit wasn’t interested in the numbers. They were interested in changing the game.
That group - Love, Rupert, Reath, and Williams - turned up the defensive pressure, started hitting shots, and completely swung the momentum. The Blazers rattled off a 35-12 run that stretched from the late third into the fourth quarter, flipping a deficit into a double-digit lead.
The Hawks, who had controlled much of the third quarter, managed just 14 points in the final frame. Portland’s bench outscored Atlanta’s 55-34 - a massive swing in a game that needed someone, anyone, to step up.
Rayan Rupert’s Breakout Moment
Rupert was the standout of the group. He scored 13 points, swiped three steals, and knocked down three of his four three-point attempts.
That kind of efficiency and defensive activity is exactly what Portland’s been hoping to see from the young wing. His confidence looked real, and his impact was undeniable.
Robert Williams III brought his usual energy on the glass and in the paint. He grabbed 11 rebounds and added six points, anchoring the defense during that critical stretch. Caleb Love chipped in 12 points and made a couple of timely plays, while Duop Reath added six points of his own - not eye-popping numbers, but both players made their minutes count.
The Veterans Steady the Ship
Once the bench did its job, the starters came back in to close things out. Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, both recently back in the rotation, brought the composure and control this team has been missing without Avdija.
Grant, in particular, had a knack for delivering in big moments throughout the night. He drew a three-shot foul with one second left in the first quarter and hit two of three from the line.
He finished a tough layup to close the first half - and probably should’ve gotten an and-one. Then, at the end of the third, he drew the defense and kicked it out to Rupert for a three that capped the Blazers’ surge.
Grant finished with 16 points off the bench, but his timing was just as important as his total.
Holiday didn’t stuff the stat sheet, but his presence matters. He’s a calming influence, a guy who knows how to get the ball where it needs to go and can create something when the offense stalls. Neither he nor Grant can replicate what Avdija brings, but they help keep the offense functional when it starts to sputter.
What It Means
This wasn’t a perfect performance from Portland, but it was a gritty, team-driven win - the kind that can galvanize a group. When the shots weren’t falling and the offense looked stuck, the bench brought energy, defense, and timely scoring. That’s how you win games in the middle of an 82-game grind.
For a team still figuring itself out without its best player, this was a reminder: depth matters, effort matters, and sometimes it’s the guys further down the rotation who change the game. Thursday night, Portland’s bench didn’t just play well - they won the game.