Avdija has 41 points, Trail Blazers hold on to beat Rockets 103-102

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Deni Avdija had a season-high 41 points and the Portland Trail Blazers won their fourth straight with a wild 103-102 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

It appeared Tari Eason scored on a tip-in for Houston at the buzzer and the Rockets emptied the bench in celebration, but upon review the basket did not beat the clock.

The teams will meet again at the Moda Center on Friday night.

The Blazers held off the Rockets through most of the second half, but Houston tied it at 84 on a Amen Thompson's free throw with 8:56 left. Shaedon Sharpe's 3-pointer put Portland back in front.

The Rockets narrowed Portland's lead to 101-99 on Kevin Durant's jumper and foul shot with just over a minute on the clock. Avdija answered with a layup.

With the Blazers holding a 103-100 lead, Durant made a pair of free throws with 5.9 seconds left. On a Portland inbound, Houston was called for a loose ball foul, which coach Ime Udoka successfully challenged, giving the Rockets the ball.

Durant, who finished with 37 points, missed a 19-footer with 2.1 seconds left before Eason's failed attempt at the buzzer.

The Rockets played without Alperen Sengun, who sprained his ankle in a loss to Dallas on Saturday and is expected to be sidelined up to two weeks.

Yang Hansen, the Blazers' 7-foot first-round draft pick last year, hit a long 3-pointer late in the first quarter to put Portland in front 25-21.

Eason played just four minutes in the opening quarter and had his left knee wrapped on the bench but returned to start the second and hit a 3-pointer that gave Houston a 27-25 lead.

Portland ended the half on a 17-7 run to lead 57-47 at the break.

Avdija made an acrobatic 19-foot layup at the buzzer to give the Blazers an 81-75 lead heading into the final period.

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

Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson brings the ball up court against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie, center, fights for the ball with Portland Trail Blazers forward Rayan Rupert, left, and forward Toumani Camara during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen reacts after making a three-point basket against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, center, drives to the basket between Houston Rockets center Clint Capela, right, and guard Josh Okogie during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, left, dribbles around Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

MARTIGNY, Switzerland (AP) — Switzerland will hold a memorial service Friday, part of a national day of mourning to honor the 40 people who were killed in an Alpine bar fire earlier this month during a New Year's celebration.

An additional 116 people were injured, many of them seriously, when the fire broke out less than two hours after midnight at the Le Constellation bar on Jan. 1.

Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana when they came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Fire safety inspections hadn’t been carried out since 2019.

The severity of burns made it difficult to identify some victims, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples. Police have said many of the victims were in their teens to mid-20s.

Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers. The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire, according to the Valais region’s chief prosecutor.

As part of the national day of mourning, church bells across Switzerland will ring for five minutes, beginning at 2 p.m. local time Friday, and a minute of silence will be held.

The Rome prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the Crans-Montana fire, alleging manslaughter and arson, Italian media reported Thursday. An autopsy has been ordered for five of the six Italian victims and has been delegated to the prosecutors' offices in Milan, Bologna, and Genoa, where the bodies of the victims have been returned.

“What happened is not a disaster: It’s the result of too many people who didn’t do their job or who thought they were making easy money,” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said at a press conference on Friday. “Those responsible must be identified and prosecuted.”

Meloni said the State Attorney General’s Office has contacted the Swiss Attorney General to follow the investigation and confirmed that the Rome Prosecutor’s Office has started a separate probe.

“The families have my word that they will not be left alone while they seek justice,” she added.

The Paris prosecutor’s office Monday announced that it was opening a probe to assist the Swiss investigation and make it easier for families of French victims to communicate with Swiss investigators. Nine French citizens were killed, the youngest of them aged 14, and 23 others were injured.

The owners of the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, where the deadly fire happened on New Year's Day, Jacques und Jessica Moretti from France, center, arrive with their lawyers Patrick Michod, Yael Hayat and Nicola Meier, to be auditioned by the Valais public prosecutor's office in Sion, Switzerland, Friday, January 9, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

Plaques bearing flags representing Switzerland, Romania, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, France, and Turkey are placed along with flowers and candles to honor the victims of the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Mourners gather around flowers and candles to commemorate the victims of the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge's fire, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

FILE - A child watches as an adult places a candle outside the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner, File)