The Trail Blazers honored a chapter of their storied past by welcoming members of the 2000 Western Conference championship team to Portland for a reunion.
But the Detroit Pistons ruined the party.
The Blazers rallied from a 21-point deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but the deep and rugged Pistons were too much down the stretch, sneaking away with a 110-102 victory before 19,335 at the Moda Center.
Shaedon Sharpe scored 25 points and Deni Avdija flirted with another triple-double, but it wasn’t enough to topple the best team in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons (23-6) sported a 95-74 lead with roughly a minute left in the third quarter and it looked like the Blazers (12-17) were headed toward a rare blowout defeat. Instead, they mounted a furious rally.
With swarming pressure defense, suddenly-clutch shot-making and tenacity so annoying it led to a pair of Detroit technical fouls, the Blazers reeled off a 17-2 run to turn a blowout into a two-possession game midway through the fourth.
When Toumani Camara gathered a pass from Avdija and swished a three pointer from the top of the key with 4:13 left, the Blazers stunningly held their first lead of the night at 100-99 and the Moda Center was going ballistic — just like it did all those years ago watching that venerable 1999-2000 team.
But the rally was temporary.
Tobias Harris answered with a pair of free throws. Ausar Thompson snatched a steal from Sharpe in the backcourt and went the other way for a fast-break dunk. And Jalen Duren followed with a monster put-back dunk. All of a sudden, the Pistons were back in control, sporting a 105-100 lead and momentum.
It proved to be more than enough as Avdija and Donovan Clingan missed multiple untimely free throws and the Pistons — who made just 6 of 24 field goals, including 0 of 7 three-pointers in the fourth quarter — made just enough shots to sneak away with a win.
It spoiled the 25-year reunion of the 2000 team, which included throwback tunes, a halftime speech from Damon Stoudamire at midcourt and multiple video montages honoring one of the best teams in franchise history.
Top performers
Avdija struggled from the field most of the night, making just 4 of 12 shots, including 1 of 4 threes. And he went just 9 of 15 free throw line, which included three costly misses in the fourth quarter. But he fought through the cold shooting outing to produce 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Clingan added 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for the Blazers.
Duren was a beast from beginning to end, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, and Thompson added 18 points and 12 assists for the Pistons.
Next up
The Blazers host the Orlando Magic on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Moda Center.