The [“Group of Death”](https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2025/11/trail-blazers-need-win-over-spurs-to-escape-nba-cups-group-of-death.html) turned out to be just that for the [Portland Trail Blazers](https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/).
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Blazers 115-102 Wednesday night, surviving an entertaining back-and-forth slugfest in an NBA Cup matchup at the Moda Center.
The loss prevented the Blazers (8-11) from advancing to the knockout round of the NBA Cup out of West Group C, a collection of five teams so formidable it had been dubbed the “Group of Death.”
Portland entered the night with a 2-1 record in group play, needing a victory over the Spurs to advance to the quarterfinals of the third-annual in-season tournament. But in the end, Deni Avdija’s individual brilliance and the return of Shaedon Sharpe from a four-game injury absence were not enough to lift the Blazers to the knockout round.
Instead, the Spurs (12-5) will play for a chance advance when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
The Blazers, who finished 2-2 in group stage play, had plenty of chances Wednesday night in a game that featured 12 ties and eight lead changes. But the Spurs gained the upper hand in the third quarter, building a 12-point lead, and fought off a slew of fourth-quarter pushes from the Blazers to earn their fourth win in the last five games.
Avdija was sensational, finishing with 37 points, and the Blazers kept things within striking distance until late in the final period. But Portland could not contain the Spurs’ starting backcourt, which combined to score 60 points, and it struggled from three-point range all night, making just 9 of 26 shots (25%).
Top performers
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Avdija made 12 of 19 shots, including 5 of 8 threes, and added eight assists and six rebounds, delivering another prolific and well-rounded performance for the Blazers.
He was perhaps most dominant in the third quarter, when he scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. During one breathtaking flurry in the third, Avdija scored nine consecutive Blazers points, swishing a pair of threes and converting a three-point play on a driving layup. His one blemish: late-game free-throw shooting. Avdija went just 2 for 8 from the free throw line in the final period, sabotaging the Blazers’ comeback chances.
De’Aaron Fox recorded 37 points, eight assists and six rebounds and Devin Vassell added 23 points and six assists as the Spurs’ starting backcourt carried them all night.
A Sharpe return
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Sharpe, who had missed the last four games with a right calf strain, played for the first time since Nov. 18.
The Blazers’ shooting guard received an ovation when he checked into the game with 3:43 left in the first quarter, and he quickly made up for lost time, swishing a 15-foot jumper 53 seconds later.
It was the start of a mini hot streak that saw Sharpe score eight consecutive Blazers points. He added two more midrange jumpers, then made a pair of free throws, during a three-minute, 10-second burst that fueled an early 30-29 Portland lead. Sharpe’s first shift lasted eight minutes, during which he recorded nine points and one assist, while making 3 of 4 shots.
Sharpe, who played under a minutes-restriction, went on to play 21 minutes, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists. He made 4 of 8 shots, missing all three of his three-point attempts.
He struggled in the second half, scoring just two points on 1-for-4 shooting. And he finished with three turnovers in an uneven performance.
But his return was welcomed news for the injury-ravaged Blazers, who have played without their starting backcourt for four games and without all three point guards for several games.
Next up
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The Blazers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Moda Center. It’s the third meeting between the teams this season.