Trail Blazers beat the Jazz 124-114 to close in on the Warriors for 9th in the West

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson each scored 25 points, Donovan Clingan had 21 points and 15 rebounds and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 124-114 on Friday night.

With Golden State’s loss to Minnesota, the Trail Blazers moved within a half-game of the Warriors for the ninth seed in the Western Conference.

Brice Sensabaugh led Utah with 31 points.

After Utah jumped out to a 33-15 lead, the Trail Blazers found their footing and went on a 27-5 run to take control.

Portland’s Sidy Cissoko’s 3-pointer hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second to make it 38-34, part of a 14-0 run to open the periodr. Portland took its first lead on a 3-pointer by Holiday, and led 66-58 at halftime.

The Jazz made several runs to cut into the lead in the second half. A layup by Oscar Tshiebwe made it 91-89 with 2:01 left in the third quarter, but that was as close as the Jazz would get.

Sensabaugh’s sixth 3-pointer making it 106-101 with 5:49 left. Portland answered with consecutive 3s by Holiday and Henderson to make it 114-103 with 3:28 left.

Utah’s Ace Bailey was ruled out after seven minutes because of concussion symptoms. He had eight points.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in attendance for Friday night’s game. The sale of the Trail Blazers is expected to be finalized at the upcoming NBA Board of Governors meeting. Silver did not speak to reporters.

Jazz: At Sacramento on Sunday night.

Trail Blazers: At Philadelphia on Sunday.

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

Portland Trail Blazers guard Vít Krejčí shoots during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Fans pose for a photo with the mascot Douglas Fur during the first half of an NBA basketball game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan reacts after the Portland Trail Blazers' scored during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive sewage pipe that ruptured and leaked millions of gallons of raw waste into the Potomac River returned to operation Saturday after the completion of emergency repairs.

DC Water, the utility that runs Washington’s water and sewage systems, reported that it had completed testing to determine whether the 72-inch diameter pipe could handle the flow.

The Potomac Interceptor ruptured on Jan. 19, sending 250 million gallons of untreated sewage into the river just north of the nation's capital over the first five days.

The utility worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies to repair the leak and monitor the ecological impact on the river. Other work on the pipe and system could take months.

Drinking water was never in jeopardy, but recreational use by anglers, boaters and others on the Potomac has been closely monitored because of concerns over the presence of deadly bacteria that can be passed along through direct contact with the water.

A class action lawsuit was filed March 6 in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, accusing DC Water with negligence.

Plaintiff Nicholas Lailas, a Virginia resident and recreational boat user on the Potomac, is seeking compensation for people “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River ... have been impaired by Defendant’s conduct,” the lawsuit said. It did not specify a damage amount.

The spill occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, along Clara Barton Parkway, which hugs the northern edge of the Potomac River near the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park. It became a serious environmental issue and the focus of political bickering between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic-led Maryland.

“Full flow has been restored and the C&O Canal has been fully drained as part of site restoration,” DC Water said in a post on X. "Since Jan 19, crews worked around the clock to stabilize the site and protect the Potomac River.

The District of Columbia's mayor, Muriel Bowser, declared an emergency Feb. 18 and requested that Trump provide federal resources, days after he chided Democratic leaders in Maryland, Washington and Virginia for not requesting help. He approved the emergency assistance quickly to help the city address the emergency.

Betsy Nicholas, president of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, said the situation “could have been so much worse given the vulnerability of our drinking water system” in the district, Montgomery County and Virginia's Arlington County.

Nicholas said the incident highlights the need for ecological assessments and remediation efforts, including natural solutions such as freshwater mussels and native aquatic plants.

“We need assurances that this isn’t going to happen again, that there’s going to be full inspection of the entire remaining system,” Nicholas said.

DC Water is holding a series of meetings with the public to discuss updates on the repair and environmental rehabilitation, including ones next week in Bethesda, Maryland, and Alexandria, Virginia.

Workers build a cofferdam to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Potomac River after a massive sewage pipe rupture in Glen Echo, Md., Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)