Paul's season-high 37 leads Rockets over Blazers 121-112

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) -- With James Harden injured, the Houston Rockets are figuring out different ways to make up for the offense the league's leading scorer normally provides.

On Wednesday night, that meant Chris Paul took 29 shots and finished with a season-high 37 points to help the Rockets to a 121-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Paul tied his career high for field-goal attempts in a regulation game. He took 33 shots and scored 42 points in a double-overtime game with New Orleans in 2008.

His 37 points were the most by a Rocket besides Harden since Jeremy Lin had 38 against San Antonio on Dec. 10, 2012.

Paul, who made 13 field goals, was asked if he realized he'd come close to taking the most shots in his career.

"I don't know," he said. "It kind of felt like it. Like goodness. I missed a lot, too. That's what I'm mad about."

Portland coach Terry Stotts said Paul was tough to stop.

"He was exceptional," Stotts said. "He really controlled the game, like he can do. His shot-making was as good as I've seen."

Eric Gordon added 30 points as the Rockets withstood a late run to win their second straight.

The Blazers used a big run to cut a 14-point deficit to three with about three minutes left. Houston responded with a 6-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Paul, to make it 111-104 about a minute later.

Damian Lillard made a layup on the other end, but Paul cut through three defenders to make an off-balance layup to push the lead to 113-106.

The Blazers couldn't get the ball in after a timeout, Houston got the ball back and Clint Capela added two free throws to secure the victory.

The Rockets won their second straight and improved to 3-2 in five games without Harden, who is out for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Lillard scored 29 after missing the last two games with a strained right calf, and C.J. McCollum added 24 points as the Blazers saw a three-game winning streak snapped.

Paul had 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals, and Capela added 13 points with eight rebounds.

Gerald Green scored all of Houston's points in a 5-2 run that extended the lead to 103-89 midway through the fourth period. He finished with 12 points and has scored in double digits in seven straight games for the first time since 2015.

"We're having to manufacture points in different ways," Paul said. "Gerald continues to be great and be aggressive. ... James averages 30 and we're just doing it by committee."

Lillard scored the first seven points of an 11-0 spurt that got the Trail Blazers within 103-100 with about 3 1/2 minutes left.

Paul received a technical in that span for arguing about a foul called on P.J. Tucker.

The Rockets led by nine entering the fourth quarter and were up by 11 with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining after Gordon scored four points. He made a layup before missing a shot on the next possession, only to grab it with one hand and finish with a dunk that made it 98-87.

Portland's Ed Davis was called for a flagrant foul late in the third when he hit Tarik Black in the right eye as Black dunked. Black remained on the court for a couple of minutes before being helped to his feet and escorted to the locker room, holding a towel over his right eye. The team said he had an abrasion to his right eye and he'll miss Friday's game.

Paul made the free throw on that play, and Tucker added a layup after that to extend the lead to 84-74.

The Rockets led 55-45 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Lillard had eight assists and five rebounds and made 10 of 12 free throws. ... Portland had six blocks, led by Jusuf Nurkic's three.

Rockets: Black tied a season high with 13 points. ... Nene missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right knee. ... Gordon has scored 20 or more points in 21 games this season after doing so in only 19 games last season.

NICE PUTBACK

Gordon's teammates were impressed with his dunk in the fourth quarter. Paul called it "sick."

"I surprise myself sometimes," Gordon said with a laugh. "When I saw it floating in the air, I just went after it."

HE SAID IT

Lillard on being unable to combat Houston's runs: "When you're dealing with a team that shoots 3s as much as them and as well, you can't give them extra possessions and I thought we did that on too many occasions."

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Visit New Orleans on Friday.

Rockets: Visit Phoenix on Friday.

McCollum, Trail Blazers beat Thunder 117-106

By MURRAY EVANS
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- While Damien Lillard tries to get past a lingering injury, the Portland Trail Blazers are relying on each other to fashion a nice run of positive results.

CJ McCollum had 27 points and seven assists, and the Trail Blazers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-106 on Tuesday night in the opener of a four-game trip.

Shabazz Napier added 21 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 20 points and eight rebounds for Portland, which moved past Oklahoma City into second in the Northwest Division standings with its seventh win in its last nine games against the Thunder.

Portland has won four of five overall despite playing most of that stretch without Lillard, who sat out for the seventh time in the last nine games with a left calf strain.

"There's not as much pressure," McCollum said. "Obviously, you're down a guy like Damien, who's able to do everything . and can take over a quarter and bail us out at times. When we come on a road trip like this, the guys are like, `Oh, Damien's hurt. We're not supposed to win.' I think everybody plays a little bit looser, understanding that we're playing against upper-tier Western Conference competition.

"Executing and playing the right way has been big for us and being comfortable with making aggressive mistakes, then moving on."

Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which is slumping a bit after playing well for most of December. The Thunder have dropped four of six, with three of those losses coming at home and another at Phoenix on Sunday.

Oklahoma City shot 44 percent from the field while Portland made 53.1 percent of its shots. Paul George scored 22 points for the Thunder, and Carmelo Anthony had 19.

"I think it's a lack of energy," Anthony said. "We played in spurts tonight. I think the last two games the energy has just been down. With that, we were one step behind on a lot of plays. We didn't put a full game together these past two games. As a result, we lost these two. ... It happens."

The Thunder closed to 83-76 with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter on a basket by Anthony, but Portland answered with a 13-1 run and led 96-77 after a 3-pointer by Al-Farouq Aminu with 10:25 left.

"That was a very good win, because of how good Oklahoma City is," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "I didn't think we played particularly well in the first half and we managed to have a lead and the third quarter was really good on both ends ... and the second unit was able to keep us going at the beginning of the fourth quarter."

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Stotts said he didn't have an update on Lillard's injury, "other than he's out." Napier made his sixth start of the season in Lillard's place. ... The Blazers are 12-8 on the road this season. ... Portland has scored more than 110 points in five straight games for its longest such stretch this season.

Thunder: Standout defender Andre Roberson missed his fifth straight game with left patellar tendinitis. Coach Billy Donovan said Roberson practiced a bit on Monday and Tuesday but would also miss Wednesday's game at Minnesota. Terrance Ferguson started in Roberson's place for the fourth straight game and went scoreless. ... Official Justin Van Duyne called George for a technical foul early in the second quarter for colorfully protesting a no-call after George drew contact on a layup attempt that missed. George responded by scoring 15 points in the final 9:37 of the half. ... George hit 5 of 9 3-point attempts and set a Thunder record with at least three 3-pointers in eight straight games.

NEXT UP

Trail Blazers: Visit Houston on Wednesday.

Thunder: Finish a back-to-back with a trip to Northwest Division-leading Minnesota on Wednesday.

Lillard leads late rally in Blazers' win over Heat

MIAMI -- The Miami Heat bench players, particularly Udonis Haslem, playfully acted as if they had fainted while watching a strong first-half shooting effort by teammate Wayne Ellington.

In the second half, the Heat wilted -- for real.

C.J. McCollum scored a game-high 28 points and Damian Lillard came alive late as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat Miami 102-95 on Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena.

Lillard, who has scored more than 30 points 10 times this season, had been held to nine points through three quarters. But he finished with 18 points to help Portland (14-13) snap a season-high five-game losing streak.

"You almost hate (Lillard) having a pedestrian box score going into the fourth quarter," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Lillard, who finished the game shooting 5-of-14 from the floor. "You know he's going to put his fingerprints on the game in the fourth."

Lillard shot 2-of-8 through three quarters but had six assists. In the final seven minutes of the game, he made three free throws, two layups and one dunk ... and had no assists.

Portland coach Terry Stotts said Lillard's slow start had partly to do with Miami game-planning for him. But it also had to do with Lillard "reading the game".

"(Lillard) tried to get his teammates involved (early)," Stotts said. "When (Miami) trapped the pick and roll, he was finding the roll man.

"Then he tried to be more aggressive in the second half."

Miami (13-14) was led by Ellington, who had 24 points. He made 8-of-11 shots from the floor, including 7-of-10 on three-pointers.

"That's Wayne," Spoelstra said of Ellington, who was inserted into the game when point guard Goran Dragic picked up two fouls in the first three minutes of the game.

"Wayne is ignitable. He's going to run his patterns full speed every time as if the play is designed for him, even when he is potentially a decoy."

With a win, Spoelstra would have won his 454th game, tying team owner Pat Riley for the franchise record for coaching victories.

But given how Spoelstra's team was outscored 52-35 in the second half while shooting just 34.4 percent from the floor, his impending career milestone was hardly a concern.

Meanwhile, Portland won despite missing its top two centers. The Blazers turned to first-round pick Zach Collins, a 7-0 rookie who had nine points, three rebounds and one block in his first NBA start.

Early on, the Heat had the advantage as Ellington went 5-for-5 on first-quarter three-pointers.

Overall, Miami shot 52.2 percent from the floor in the first quarter, including 8-of-13 on three-pointers (61.5 percent). The Heat also held Portland to 43.8-percent shooting, leading to Miami's 33-21 lead.

Stotts said Portland made a key adjustment to Ellington in the second half. In essence, they didn't lose him in coverage and kept him from getting open.

"We limited him to three shot attempts in the second half," Stotts said, "and the one he made was well-contested."

That tight defense proved to be important as Portland won the second and third quarters, inching closer but still trailing 79-70 entering the fourth.

The Blazers took their first lead of the game, 89-88, at 6:10 of the fourth quarter on a three-point play by Ed Davis.

"We knew we were still in the game," Davis said after the Blazers extended their win streak in this series to four games. "We came out after halftime with that confidence and said, 'Let's chip away, chip away.'"

Davis said Portland played so poorly early that it should've been down by 20 points.

But by hanging around, the Blazers gave Lillard a shot to do his thing late.

"We had lost five in a row -- that's tough for anyone to deal with," Lillard said. "This wasn't a game where we came out, and everyone was making shots. We had to go get it."

NOTES: Portland is 7-5 on the road this season. Miami is 5-7 at home. ... Heat F Justise Winslow sprained his left knee in the second quarter and did not return. ... Blazers F Maurice Harkless (left quadriceps) returned after missing two consecutive games but did not score in nine minutes. ... Blazers C Myers Leonard (illness) sat out. ... Blazers C Jusuf Nurkic missed his third straight game due to an sprained right ankle. ... Heat C Hassan Whiteside (left knee) is expected to miss the rest of the month. ... Heat G Tyler Johnson sat out the game due to a migraine headache. Even though he is a reserve, Johnson is fifth on the team in scoring (10.8) and tied for fourth in assists (2.0). He is also second on the team in free throw percentage (91.5).

Wizards rebound impressively behind Beal's 51

PORTLAND, Ore. -- After the Wizards took a 47-point whipping at Utah on Monday night, Washington coach Scott Brooks was watching to see how his players would respond Tuesday night at Moda Center.

Brooks loved what he saw in the Wizards' 106-92 win over the Portland Trail Blazers -- especially from guard Bradley Beal.

With backcourt mate John Wall sidelined for the sixth straight game due to a knee injury, Beal bombed in a career-high 51 points to carry the Wizards to victory.

"It was a great bounce-back game for all of our guys, but in particular, for Brad," Brooks said. "He was feeling good, and I was keeping him in there."

Beal, who came in averaging 22.1 points, scored only 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting against the Jazz. He had averaged 12.5 points in his previous four games.

Against Portland, the 6-foot-5 sixth-year pro scored 32 of his points in the second half. Beal had 12 points in the first quarter, seven in the second, 19 in the third and 13 in the fourth.

"I thought I was going to have a good game," said Beal, who finished 21 of 37 from the field, including 5 of 12 from 3-point range, in 43 minutes. "That was my mentality coming into it. I was more locked in, more focused. In the previous games, I was thinking way too much out there instead of playing my game.

"Tonight, I put everything on the table, regardless of whether I made or missed shots. I was going to be a better leader, have good body language and do whatever it took to get a win."

Beal scored more points in Portland than any Blazers opponent in the franchise's 47-year history. The previous record of 49 points was shared by Atlanta's Lou Hudson (1970) and Milwaukee's Lew Alcindor (1972).

"It's an honor," Beal said. "I have a long way to go before I'm even considered in that category. To hold that record in this building, that speaks volumes, with all the guys who have come through here and done miraculous things. I'm proud of it, but I'm more proud of the win we got tonight."

Did Beal dig deeper to provide offense in the absence of Wall?

"Yes and no," he said. "I trust my teammates to make plays. It's always next man up no matter who is on the floor. Tim (Frazier) and Tomas (Satoransky) do a great job of running the team. I did put a little bit more pressure on myself to carry a heavier load, but I have excellent guys around me who can make plays."

Damian Lillard collected 30 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for the Trail Blazers, who lost their third straight game -- all at home. Portland's Al-Farouq Aminu scored 17 points, and Jusuf Nurkic added 15 points and nine rebounds before leaving with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.

Beal scored 12 of Washington's first 18 points as the Wizards seized a 24-22 lead after one quarter.

Washington (13-11) started the second quarter on a 7-0 run to go ahead 31-22. The Wizards scored the final seven points of the quarter to go into the half leading 51-37 over the Blazers, who shot 34.2 percent and had 13 turnovers before the break.

Washington started the third quarter with a 10-1 spurt to increase the advantage to 61-38. The Blazers responded with a 15-2 run to draw to within 63-53, but the Wizards came back with a 9-0 tear to go up 72-53.

The difference was 79-66 heading into the final period.

The Wizards extended their lead to 97-76 on Satoransky's 3-pointer with five minutes left. Portland (13-11) scored the game's next 11 points to close within 97-87 with 1:53 to go. Satoransky ended the Wizards' drought with a runner with 1:37 remaining, and Beal's 3-pointer with 1:10 left sealed the verdict.

Lillard traces Portland's problems back to a road trip before its current homestand, even though the Blazers won four of the five games away from home.

"We didn't play great, but we found ways to win games," he said. "We came back home and haven't played well offensively or consistent defensively. Every year at some point, adversity is going to hit. I feel this is the start of a little bit of adversity. I'm not overly concerned this early in the year, but we're just not playing well."

NOTES: Wizards G Bradley Beal scored 51 points; his teammates totaled 55. Only two other Washington players scored in double figures, both reserves -- Kelly Oubre Jr. with 14 and Mike Scott with 10 on 5-of-5 shooting. ... Beal's previous career scoring high was 42 points. ... Portland G Damian Lillard has made 163 free throws, second most in the NBA behind Houston's James Harden (174). ... Washington shot 47.2 percent from the floor to Portland's 41 percent.

McCollum has 24 points to lead Portland past Memphis

By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Portland is clamping down on defense and the effort is leading to recent success for the Trail Blazers.

The team has held seven of the last eight opponents under 100 points, including Memphis on Monday night as the Trail Blazers pulled away from the Grizzlies for a 100-92 win.

C. J. McCollum scored 24 points and Damian Lillard added 21 points as Portland sent Memphis to its fifth straight loss.

“Defensively we were able to get some stops down the stretch,” McCollum said of Portland’s ability to pull away after the game was tied at 80 with 6:41 remaining. “Noah (Vonleh) had some big baskets. Big rebounds. Different guys stepped up. Everybody did a little bit of everything.”

Shabazz Napier added 16 points, while Noah Vonleh finished with 11 points and 18 rebounds for Portland, which won its second straight and fourth in the last five.

“The other team was just missing a lot of shots, and I was just having a nose for the ball,” Vonleh said. “Boxing my guy out and going after it, that was my mindset.”

Vonleh’s rebounds were part of the Trail Blazers controlling the boards, outrebounding Memphis 60-35.

“Crushed us on the glass,” Memphis coach David Fizdale said. “We finally got our defense activated again, and I felt like we were back somewhat looking like our early season self. But the glass just really killed us.”

Mario Chalmers led Memphis with a season-high 21 points, while Tyreke Evans finished with 20. Marc Gasol had 19 points, seven assists and 12 rebounds, but was 7 of 20 from the floor, part of the Grizzlies shooting 38 percent for the game, and 27 percent from outside the arc.

The teams were tied at 80 with 6:47 left after Gasol split a pair of free throws. But Jusuf Nurkic, who had 10 points, converted a 3-point play and put the Trail Blazers ahead for good.

“It’s always difficult, it seems, to play here,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “Seems like the games are always a grind it out, low possession, low field goal percentage game.”

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: The game was the first of a five-game road trip for Portland. ... Portland lost to Grizzlies 98-97 earlier this month. .Vonleh’s 18 rebounds were one short of his career-high 19 on April 12 last season against New Orleans. It was Vonleh’s first double-double of the season. ... Napier, who was shooting 58 percent in his last six games, was 5 of 13 from the field.

Grizzlies: C/F Brandan Wright, who injured his right groin in Saturday’s game against Houston, sat out, along with G Mike Conley, who continues to nurse a sore left Achilles tendon. ... Memphis has allowed 100 points in nine of the last 10 games. ... Evans recorded at least 20 points off the bench for the seventh time this season.

LILLARD LIMPING

Lillard turned his ankle with just under 3 minutes left before halftime after stepping on Gasol’s foot. The Portland guard went down under the Trail Blazers basket, but eventually hobbled to the bench. He returned to start the second half. “I knew if there was some way he could play, he’s going to play,” Stotts said. “What he does, doesn’t surprise me.” Lillard was noticeably limping in the Trail Blazers locker room. He said trainers “did all kinds of different tape jobs on it,” at halftime, “then we went back out there and tried it. I was able to, at least, get something done.”

CLOSE, BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH

Memphis’ losing streak has reflected the signs of a struggling team, particularly without Conley. While the Grizzlies were in the game midway through the fourth quarter, they were consistently trying to catch up throughout the game because of poor shooting. “I do think if we could have made some of our open shots, it would have at least helped momentum and it also helps energize your defense when you make a couple of those,” Fizdale said. “But, ultimately, we’ve just got to keep plugging away.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Travel to Philadelphia for a Wednesday game against the 76ers.

Grizzlies: Wrap up a four-game home stand on Wednesday, hosting the Dallas Mavericks.

Lillard’s 3 gives Trail Blazers 113-110 win over Lakers

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard didn’t really need to gesture to his wrist. The crowd already knew it was Lillard Time.

The star guard made a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left and the Portland Trail Blazers extended their winning streak over the Los Angeles Lakers to 13 games with a 113-110 victory Thursday night.

Lillard finished with 32 points, and Portland snapped a two-game skid. Jusuf Nurkic added 28 points.

Lillard was 1 of 5 from 3-point range before the game-winner. The crowd roared when the shot fell, and Lillard nodded and pointed to his wrist.

“I felt good. The ball was coming off my hands good all night, even the ones that I didn’t make. In those moments, you don’t think about what happened before. It’s a chance to rise to the occasion. You’re 0 for 0 in that moment,” Lillard said. “I go back to my very first game-winner against New Orleans my rookie year. I had a terrible shooting game but I was able to block that out. All that mattered was that moment. No different tonight.”

Brook Lopez had 27 points and rookie Kyle Kuzma added a season-high 22 for the Lakers, who were short-handed after Larry Nance Jr. broke his left hand in the second half. Fellow rookie Lonzo Ball was 0 for 2 from the field with no points, four assists and three rebounds.

There were a few fans in the crowd wearing Ball’s No. 2 jersey for his first appearance in Portland. But most fans booed him heartily during player introductions.

Nance was hurt late in the third quarter and went to the locker room. He did not play the rest of the way. Nance was averaging 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Lakers.

Afterward, the Lakers confirmed Nance broke a bone in his hand.

“Obviously, I feel terrible for him. He’s been playing so solid for us,” coach Luke Walton said. “It’s tough but that’s what team sports are about, and someone else has to step up.”

Portland took a 106-105 lead on Lillard’s free throws with 1:56 left. Kuzma made a hook shot on the other end, but Lillard answered with a layup before Nurkic made free throws for a 110-107 lead. The standing crowd chanted “Beat LA! Beat LA!”

But Kentavious Caldwell-Pope quieted the fans with a 3-pointer off an assist from Ball to tie it with 15.5 seconds left. Lillard hit the winner over the outstretched arm of Brandon Ingram.

Kuzma took the final shot, a missed 3-pointer from 28 feet out at the buzzer that would have tied it.

Lillard had missed a 3 the night before at the end of regulation in Portland’s 112-103 overtime loss at Utah.

“He made a good read last night and (Rudy) Gobert made a great play,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “Tonight I think he had his mind made up to take the shot. It’s what great players do.”

The Blazers were without Al-Farouq Aminu, who injured his right ankle Wednesday against the Jazz. The team posted a photo of the 6-foot-9 forward on crutches before Thursday’s game.

Aminu was averaging 9.4 points and 8.1 rebounds this season. Noah Vonleh, who returned the night before following a shoulder injury in camp, started in his place.

Portland led by 18 in the first half but the Lakers closed the gap to 66-62 at halftime. It was tight the rest of the way.

“We have the game against Toronto, then you have a tough one last night against Utah. Maybe if we come back and have a blowout, maybe we don’t have to look at ourselves as much,” Lillard said. “We come in here tonight and we had a dogfight on our hands. We really had to look at ourselves and make it happen. We had to trust ourselves and trust each other to get it done.

“So I think a game like this and having to pull out a game like this does more for our team, character-wise.”

TIP-INS

Lakers: Los Angeles was 0 for 9 from 3-point range in the first half. ... The Lakers were coming off a 113-93 victory at home against the Pistons on Tuesday night.

Trail Blazers: Rookie big man Zach Collins started the second half in place of Vonleh, who had four fouls. Collins, a 7-footer out of Gonzaga, was acquired by the Blazers in a draft-day deal with Sacramento.

ON BALL

“I thought he was a little too passive tonight,” Walton said about his rookie point guard. “The hardest thing for young players is consistency. He’s so unselfish that sometimes we want him to be more aggressive with attacking the defenses.”

Ball, for his part, recognized that.

“I definitely could have been more aggressive,” he said.

UP NEXT

Lakers: Host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Trail Blazers: Host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.

DeRozan as 25 and Toronto downs Portland 99-85

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — DeMar DeRozan credited Toronto’s second unit for Portland’s ugly second quarter.

The Trail Blazers were held to just six total points — Evan Turner’s layup and four free throws — in the period and Toronto went on to win 99-85 on Monday night.

“They did something big for us holding them to one field goal throughout the whole quarter,” DeRozan said about the bench. “It gave us a great opportunity to go out there and pull out this win.”

DeRozan had 25 points to lead the Raptors, who were up by as many as 26 points. Kyle Lowry added a season-high 19 points and added 10 rebounds.

“Man, they did a great job of cutting off everything,” Lowry said about the second unit. “It was such an ugly slugfest in the second quarter.”

The win extended Toronto’s winning streak over Portland to five straight games.

Damian Lillard had a season-high 36 points for the Blazers, who got within 13 in the final quarter. CJ McCollum, who had scored 20 or more points in each of Portland’s first six games this season, had 16.

Toronto was without center Serge Ibaka, who is averaging 15 points a game this season, because of swelling in his right knee. The knee started to bother him following a victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday. Jacob Poetl took his place in the starting lineup.

The Raptors also missed Jonas Valanciunas for a fourth straight game with a left ankle sprain.

Toronto’s focused on defense throughout, coach Dwane Casey said.

“I mean, you’re not going to stop a great player like Lillard or McCollum,” Casey said. “But our whole emphasis was to make them work for every inch of the court.”

DeRozan had 15 points in the first quarter and the teams were knotted at 29 going into the second. DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points in the 101-92 victory over the Lakers.

The Blazers went cold in the second quarter. Really cold. They went 0-for-16 from the field until Turner’s layup with 5 seconds left before the half. Portland’s other four points in the quarter came from free throws and the Raptors led 54-35 at the break.

The Blazers’ six total points were a franchise low for the second quarter.

“It wasn’t like they were unstoppable,” Lillard said. “They were scoring and we weren’t.”

Going back into the first quarter, the Blazers missed 20 straight shots over the miserable stretch.

“Brutal,” Coach Terry Stotts said about the stretch. “It was tough. I felt bad for them.”

Lillard hit a pair of consecutive 3-pointers and a layup in the third quarter, but the Blazers couldn’t make up much ground. The Raptors led 81-61 going into the final period.

Portland went on a 10-5 run to open the fourth and close the gap to 86-71 with 8:55 left. Lillard added a 16-footer to cut the margin to 13.

Portland was coming off a 114-107 win at home over the Suns on Saturday.

TIP INS

Raptors: It was the fourth game of a season-long six game road trip for Toronto. ... The Raptors won both games against the Blazers last season.

Trail Blazers: Portland’s lowest point total for any quarter is five points. ... It was the last of a four-game home stand for the Blazers. ... Meyers Leonard is currently out because of right lateral ankle sprain. ... It was the 76th 30-point game of Lillard’s career.

NOGUERIA’S NIGHT: Lucas Nogueira scored a season-high 17 points for the Raptors, along with nine rebounds. He had five blocked shots

“He’s engaged and he’s into it and we know what he can do,” Lowry said. “He just has to do it consistently. That’s the biggest thing I say to him every night, get out there and be a shot blocker and be dominate on the defensive end.”

QUOTABLE: “The first quarter was really nice and the second quarter was really bad.” --Stotts.

UP NEXT

Toronto plays the Nuggets in Denver on Wednesday.

The Trail Blazers visit the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.

Davis leaves Portland game with left knee injury

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anthony Davis left the Pelicans’ game against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night with a left knee injury.

Davis left for the locker room midway through the first quarter. It appeared that he bumped knees with Blazers guard Damian Lillard.

Davis, in his sixth NBA season, had 27 points and 17 rebounds in New Orleans’ 119-112 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday. He had a basket and a rebound through the first 5 minutes against the Blazers.

Davis averaged a career-best 28 points and 11.8 rebounds last season with the Pelicans.

Blazers beat Pelicans 103-93 to extend home-opener streak

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers preserved their streak with a late push.

CJ McCollum scored 16 of his 23 points in the final quarter and Portland won its NBA-record 17th straight home opener with a 103-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Damian Lillard and Evan Turner each added 13 points for Portland, which is off to a 3-1 start for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

“We just tried to be aggressive, tried to push the tempo a little bit more and we got some stops, a lot of stops in the second half,” McCollum said. “We just wanted to make something happen. We were a little sluggish offensively, our flow wasn’t as good as we would like it to be. But luckily we were able to get a win.”

DeMarcus Cousins had 39 points and 13 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double to start the season. The Pelicans were hurt when Anthony Davis departed with a left knee injury in the first quarter.

McCollum hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Portland up 87-81 with 7:32 left. Lillard, who had been cold through three quarters, added a layup and another 3 to extend the lead to 92-81.

The Pelicans answered with a 10-0 run to close to 92-91 with 4:06 left. Lillard was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to give the Blazers a cushion at 99-83 with 1:25 left.

“We got stops. DeMarcus Cousins is a handful. Jrue Holiday is really crafty out there. They have so many options, guys that are aggressive and can go make something happen,” Lillard said. “We buckled down, we got stops, we rebounded. A few shots went in for us and we pulled it out.”

Davis left for the locker room midway through the opening period after he appeared to knock knees with Lillard. In his sixth NBA season, Davis had 27 points and 17 rebounds in New Orleans’ 119-112 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Following the game, Davis was not walking with a noticeable limp when he left the arena.

“At halftime I was hoping AD was going to come back out there,” Cousins said. “That didn’t happen. I had to step up to the plate, and that’s what I tried to do.”

Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic got into foul trouble with three in the first half of the opening quarter and Portland fell behind 18-13. The Blazers quickly turned things around with a 16-1 run to lead 29-19 going into the second.

Portland stretched the lead to 13 points but the Pelicans caught up to take a 48-47 lead at the half.

Lillard struggled through the first three quarters, going just 1 for 12 from the floor. He was averaging 23.7 points going into the game.

Cousins hit a turnaround jumper that put the Pelicans up 69-66 late in the third quarter. He had 18 of the team’s 25 points in the period and New Orleans led 73-71 going into the final quarter.

“I didn’t realize until the game was over how good a job we did on Dame and CJ — CJ got hot toward the end. That’s two of the best guards in the league. It was a great team effort all the way around (but) we just didn’t get the win,” Cousins said. “We just didn’t have enough push at the end.”

Portland’s Ed Davis finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for his 50th career double-double.

Portland was coming off a 113-110 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Blazers had won their first two games of the season.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: The Pelicans head to Sacramento on Thursday to visit Cousins’ former team. In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Cousins said he should have left the Kings earlier but he was loyal to the team he started his career with. Cousins was traded to the Pelicans last season at the All-Star break. ... New Orleans had won three of the last four against the Blazers.

Trail Blazers: To celebrate the start of the season, Pyramid Brewing Co. on Tuesday introduced Blazermania IPA. The new beer was on tap at the Moda Center for the home opener.

WITHOUT DAVIS

Lillard said he wasn’t even sure when Davis left the game, and didn’t recall bumping into him.

“I think had he been out there, it would have just made it a better game. It would have forced us to be sharper. Not that we took it for granted, but it would have forced us to be sharper knowing that that guy was out there,” Lillard said.

UP NEXT

The Pelicans visit the Kings on Thursday.

The Trail Blazers host the Clippers on Thursday, the second of a four-game homestand.

Nets acquire Crabbe from Blazers for Nicholson

(TSX / STATS) -- The Brooklyn Nets acquired swingman Allen Crabbe from the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in exchange for forward Andrew Nicholson.

Crabbe averaged a career-best 10.7 points last season, his fourth with Portland since he was drafted in the second round by Cleveland in 2013.

The 6-foot-6 Crabbe, who also shot a career-best 44.4 percent from 3-point range last season, averaged 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28 1/2 minutes of action.

The former University of California product has a career scoring average of 8.3 points in his four seasons with the Trail Blazers, also reaching double digits at 10.3 points during the 2015-16 season.

The 6-foot-9 Nicholson was acquired by the Nets from Washington during last season. He averaged 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10 games with Brooklyn and 2.5 points in 28 games with the Wizards.

A first-round pick of the Orlando Magic in 2012, Nicholson had his most productive offensive season as a rookie, averaging 7.8 points. He is averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in five seasons with the Magic, Wizards and Nets.

Recap: Blazers take down top-seeded Raptors

Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire

The No. 16-seed Portland Trail Blazers upset the top-seeded Toronto Raptors 91-85 in the second round of the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs at Cox Pavilion on Thursday.

The game was close throughout, with eight ties and 12 lead changes. The Blazers (3-2) took the lead for good on a Nick Johnson 20-foot jumper that made it 72-71 with 8:32 remaining, increasing their margin to 10 points with 4:35 to play. The Raptors (3-1) went on a 9-0 run, pulling to within one, 83-82, on a Fred VanVleet layup with two minutes left, but that's as close as they would get. 

Three-point shooting was decisive, as Portland shot 8-of-17 from long range while Toronto was just 7-of-35. The Blazers shot 49 percent from the field.

Johnson led the Trail Blazers with 17 points off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. Fellow reserve Jarnell Stokes totaled 13 points and five rebounds. Caleb Swanigan also had 13 points, adding 11 rebounds. Jake Layman and R.J. Hunter scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.

VanVleet carried Toronto with 31 points, six rebounds and two steals. Jordan Loyd finished with 17 points and Alfonzo McKinnie had 11 points and nine rebounds.

Portland plays the No. 8-seed San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in the quarterfinals. 

Warriors move on with a sweep of the Trail Blazers

Asssociated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Long after the Trail Blazers had left their court, many of Golden State's players celebrated on the floor at the Moda Center to the delight of a rather large contingent of yellow-clad fans who chanted "War-ri-ors! War-ri-ors!"

The first-round sweep was sweet, even in Portland's house.

Stephen Curry scored 37 points and Golden State beat the Blazers 128-103 on Monday night to advance to the conference semifinals. The Warriors will face the winner of the series between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers, which is tied at 2.

Golden State was energized despite playing for the second straight game without coach Steve Kerr, who has been experiencing a flare-up of symptoms stemming from back surgery a couple of years ago. Assistant Mike Brown has served as head coach in Kerr's absence.

But the Warriors saw the return of forward Kevin Durant, who hadn't played since Game 1 because of a strained left calf. He started and the Warriors built a 72-48 lead by the end of the opening half.

Golden State pushed the margin to 33 points in the second half. Curry swished a 31-foot 3-pointer that made it 104-77 late in the third quarter and the Blazers couldn't catch up.

Durant finished with 10 points in just under 21 minutes. All of Golden State's starters were in double figures.

"That was unbelievable. Our guys were locked in on both ends of the floor. I wish I could say this one thing or that one thing was really good but everything we tried to do, we tried to do it on a high level," Brown said. "It was fun to watch. Fun to be a part of."

Damian Lillard scored 34 points for the Blazers, who were making their fourth straight appearance in the playoffs. The crowd at the Moda Center gave Lillard a standing ovation when he came out with 6:12 to play.

Last season, the Warriors defeated the Blazers 4-1 in the second round. Curry missed the first three games of that series with a sprained MCL in his right knee, but returned in time to take the series back to Golden State and advance. The Warriors, who won the NBA title in 2015, fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the Finals last year.

The Warriors were still without Matt Barnes (right ankle/foot sprain), and Shaun Livingston (right index finger sprain). Livingston hasn't played since Game 1 and Barnes has been sidelined the whole series.

The Blazers led Game 3 by as many as 17 points in the first half -- sparked by the return of big man Jusuf Nurkic. But the lead slipped away in the third quarter and the deeper Warriors prevailed 119-113.

Nurkic, who had missed the final seven games of the regular season and the first two playoff games because of a nondisplaced fracture in his right leg, finished with two points and 11 rebounds. He was ruled out of Monday's game.

The Warriors jumped out to a 14-0 lead at the start. Durant's dunk extended the lead to 22-3 and the rout was on. JaVale McGee made a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk in route to a 45-22 lead after the opening quarter.

"We knew if we threw the first punch, we knew that it would overwhelm them a bit, especially being up 3-0," Durant said.

It was the most points ever in a quarter for Golden State in a playoff game, and matched the NBA record for most first-quarter points in a playoff game.

Lillard shouldered most of the burden for the Blazers with 21 points in the half, but backcourt partner CJ McCollum was scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting and Portland trailed 72-48 at the break.

"They came out really energized, focused. They showed their championship pedigree," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "We were slow to react to it and we just couldn't get it going. And we didn't play nearly as well as they needed to and they showed why they're a championship team."

The Warriors showed no signs of slowing in the third. Curry's 3-pointer pushed Golden State's lead to 91-58.

"We're very confident about who we are and how were going to be successful," Curry said.

TIP-INS

Warriors: The previous time the Warriors swept a playoff series was in 2015 against New Orleans. ... Golden State has swept six playoff series in franchise history, but this was the third four-game sweep ... The Warriors improved to 12-1 in the first round over the past three postseasons.

Trail Blazers: The only other time the Blazers had been swept in a seven-game playoff series was in the 1999 Western Conference Final against San Antonio. ... The Blazers fell 3-0 in the first round to the Lakers in the 2000 playoffs. ... Meyers Leonard made his first career playoff start at center but played for just more than 10 minutes with no points.

AILING KERR: Kerr announced on Sunday that he would not be on the sideline for Game 4. However, he was at the Moda Center for Monday's game. Brown said beforehand he expected Kerr would be watching from the locker room.

It is unclear how long he might be out. The 51-year-old coach still experiences lingering symptoms from complications following two back surgeries after the franchise's run to the 2015 championship.

UP NEXT

The Warriors await the winner of the series between the Jazz and the Clippers. Portland heads into the offseason.

Warriors take 3-0 series lead over Blazers with 119-113 win

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Stephen Curry wasn't trying to be a hero. He just wanted the win.

Curry scored 34 points - including a 3-pointer with just about a minute left that all but sealed the victory - and the Golden State Warriors overcame a slow start to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 119-113 and take a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Playing without both Kevin Durant and coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors came back Saturday night from a first-half 17-point deficit. Golden State can clinch the series with a win Monday night in Game 4 at the Moda Center.

"It's not necessarily `hero ball,' it's being aggressive in those spots that you have," Curry said. "You might need to force the issue. That might mean taking a shot, it could be trying to get your feet in the paint and make a play, defensively trying to assert yourself - whatever the game calls for, getting ready for those moments."

Klay Thompson added 24 points in the victory, which Curry said was marked by a handful of "boneheaded mistakes" in the first half. A 19-1 run in the third quarter brought the Warriors back.

Afterward, Curry said he gave the game ball to general Manager Bob Myers to give to Kerr, who stayed back at the team hotel because of illness.

The Warriors took a 108-100 lead, their biggest of the game, after Andre Iguodala's dunk with 4:05 to go.

Noah Vonleh's dunk got Portland within four at 110-106 with 1:29 left, but Curry answered with his 3-pointer sent fans streaming for the exits.

CJ McCollum led the Blazers with 32 points, while Damian Lillard added 31. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs.

"I don't think it's ever been done, coming back from 3-0, especially against a team like Golden State," Lillard said afterward. "But I'm sure a lot of you guys know I'm not one to quit and I'm very optimistic."

Portland saw the return of big man Jusuf Nurkic after he missed the final seven games of the regular season and the first two playoff games at Golden State because of a non-displaced fracture in his right leg. A 7-footer known as the Bosnian Beast, Nurkic finished with two points and 11 rebounds.

The Warriors routed the Blazers 110-81 in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Durant injured his left calf in the third quarter of Sunday's 121-109 Game 1 victory, but finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds.

Energized by a raucous home crowd, Portland jumped out to an early 17-9 lead on Vonleh's dunk. Portland extended the lead in the second quarter, with Al-Farouq Aminu and Allen Crabbe showing spark after being largely quiet in the first two games. Crabbe's 3-pointer and a free throw put Portland up 49-33.

A 14-5 run put the Blazers up 65-48, but Curry hit a 3-pointer and a long jumper for the Warriors to close out the half down 67-54. Curry and Thompson were off in the opening half, going 8 of 25 from the field with just two 3-pointers - both from Curry.

The Warriors went on a 21-3 run to pull in front 85-83, capped by a pair of baskets from Iguodala and Draymond Green. Portland led 88-87 going into the final quarter.

Warriors assistant Mike Brown stood in for Kerr, who still experiences lingering symptoms from complications following two back surgeries after the franchise's run to the 2015 championship. He missed the first 43 games last season dealing with symptoms such as headaches, nausea and an aching neck.

Despite his prolonged absence, the Warriors went 73-9 last season and played in the NBA championship game. Kerr was named Coach of the Year.

"I don't know all of the circumstances," Brown said before the game. "He's just not feeling well, and we'll see how he feels later on."

Matt Barnes (right ankle/foot sprain), and Shaun Livingston (right index finger sprain) were also out for the Warriors.

The Warriors defeated the Blazers in five games in the second round last season, en route to the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The surprising Blazers got past the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round after falling to a 2-0 deficit.

Golden State finished atop the conference this season with the best overall record in the NBA (67-15). The Blazers finished eighth after a late-season surge that saw them go 17-6 after March 1.

TIP-INS

Warriors: David West was assessed a flagrant foul for pushing Portland's Evan Turner in the first half. Turner was handed an unsportsmanlike conduct technical. ... The Philadelphia Warriors won the inaugural league title with a Game 5 win against Chicago 70 years ago on Saturday.

Trail Blazers: Portland's bench, which struggled in the first two games of the series, combined for 19 points and 13 rebounds in the first half. ... Lillard has 15 playoff games with 25-plus, second-most in franchise history to Clyde Drexler with 29.

WILL HE OR WON'T HE: While the prevailing wisdom suggests the Warriors should just rest Durant for Game 4 since the Warriors are so close to wrapping up the series, it sounded on Saturday night as though he may still be hoping to play.

Asked on his way out of the win made him more excited to come back, he replied: "Yes, I'm juiced right now!"

UP NEXT

The Warriors can clinch the series on Monday night at the Moda Center.

---

More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Trail Blazers face must-win vs. Warriors

Stats, LLC

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Kevin Durant is "questionable." Jusuf Nurkic is "doubtful."

But the Golden State-Portland series rolls into Saturday's Game 3 at Moda Center with this certainty: The Warriors have a distinct advantage over the Trail Blazers, who are trying to dig out of an 0-2 hole.

"We have to get a win," Portland point guard Damian Lillard said. "You don't want to go into Game 4 down 3-0. That's dangerous territory. We'll feel a lot better if we go into Game 4 down 2-1, looking to tie up the series."

Durant said after Friday's practice session the condition of his strained calf, which kept him out of Wednesday night's Game 2, is improving.

"Felt good today," Durant said. "It's getting better. We'll see how it feels (Saturday) morning."

"We didn't do much at practice," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, "but he went through all the stuff we did."

Durant had 32 points and 10 rebounds in a 121-109 victory in Sunday's opener, "and I played the whole fourth quarter on (the calf)," he said.

He said Kerr and the Warriors have had experience with other players nursing calf injuries.

"They don't want to risk reinjuring it or I might be out for a long time," Durant said. "I understand. I'm trying to look at the big picture. But I definitely want to be out there."

Durant had missed 19 games late in the regular season because of a knee injury.

"It's unfortunate," he said. "You work so hard to get back. I played well the first game (of the series). But it's part of sports. I just have to push through it."

Kerr said Durant was scheduled to go through an individual workout later Friday and then shootaround on Saturday.

"We'll see how he does," Kerr said. "Until he is 100 percent, we have to be cautious and make the right decision. If it were Game 7 of the finals, he'd play. We're not talking about anything that could damage his career. But it's something that could potentially get worse and knock him out for two weeks. Then it's not worth it.

"Kevin is frustrated, especially coming off the six weeks of inactivity. He's dying to be out on the floor. It's driving him nuts, but he knows this is the right approach."

The Warriors also listed reserves Shaun Livingston (finger) and Matt Barnes (ankle) as questionable for Game 3.

Nurkic hasn't practiced with Portland in the postseason and hasn't played a game since March 28, having missed nine games with a non-displaced fracture of his right leg. The 7-foot center, acquired in a February trade with Denver, shot around with his teammates during Friday's practice session but is listed as doubtful for Saturday.

The Blazers, manhandled 110-81 in Game 2 at Oracle Arena, were 25-16 at home during the regular season, finishing by winning 11 of their last 14.

"We have a special home-court advantage because of the way our fans operate, but (players from) any team will say they have an advantage at home," Lillard said. "You sleep in your own bed. You're in your comfort zone. You're on your home floor. Your crowd will be behind us.

"On the road, when a team hits a few big shots, you have to call a timeout. Now, that's going to be on our side. It creates a certain level of confidence and puts a certain amount of stress on the visiting team."

Warriors take 2-0 series lead on Blazers, win without Durant

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- JaVale McGee has made a name for himself catching lob passes and reliably slamming them home to the pure delight of his teammates, and oh did those matter for the short-handed Golden State Warriors as they moved one win closer to another NBA championship.

The typically spot-on Splash Brothers weren't hitting consistently. Kevin Durant wasn't on the court at all, nor Shaun Livingston.

McGee shined on a night none of the usual stars found their steady shooting strokes and sparked Golden State off the bench with 15 points, and the Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-81 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series Wednesday night as Durant sat out injured.

"That's my whole thing, I just try to be efficient out there," McGee said.

The backup big man made all seven of his field-goal attempts and delivered several more of his signature alley-oop dunks as Durant watched with a strained left calf he hurt in the playoff opener Sunday.

"Sometimes we get caught up in looking for him too much when he's not open because we feel he can do something spectacular above the rim," Stephen Curry said.

Draymond Green put together another fantastic all-around game, getting 12 rebounds, 10 assists, six points and three more blocked shots after swatting five in Sunday's win.

Curry went 6 for 18 for 19 points and also had six assists and six rebounds. Klay Thompson was 6 of 17 with 16 points and CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard were hardly were the dynamic scoring duo for Portland they'd been combining for 75 points only three days earlier.

Again, Golden State did it on defense - holding the Blazers to 12 points in the third.

"Our offense got scattered, we were rushing everything. We were just not poised offensively and that put our defense in a bad position," coach Steve Kerr said. "I thought in the third quarter we settled our offense down which helped our defense."

And now the Warriors own a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series as it shifts to Portland for Saturday's Game 3, just as Kerr's group did going ahead on the Blazers in last year's Western Conference semifinal won in five games.

"We've got to have this one," Lillard said.

Maurice Harkless scored all of his 15 points in the first half and the Blazers gave up seven straight points to start the third as the Warriors were off and running. Portland played again without center Jusuf Nurkic, and missed him. The 7-footer still isn't 100 percent from a nondisplaced fracture in his right leg that sidelined him for the final seven regular-season games.

McCollum, who shot 16 for 28 to score 41 in the 121-109 Game 1 loss, scored 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Lillard was 5 for 17 and held to 12 points.

"Coming in the first two games we just wanted to take one," Lillard said. "We didn't do that."

Coach Terry Stotts called on his team to be more balanced to have a chance against top-seeded Golden State, which finished with the NBA's best record for a third straight season.

Instead, the Warriors once more showed their remarkable balance despite Livingston being sidelined after he also got hurt in Sunday's win.

Ian Clark scored 13 points, Andre Iguodala contributed 10 rebounds, six assists and six points, and Zaza Pachulia scored 10 points. McGee did his thing with three alley-oops in the first and two on consecutive possessions late in the period.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: The Blazers' third-quarter scoring output was their lowest in any period this season - and tied for the fewest in a quarter by a Warriors playoff opponent in the shot clock era. ... Portland shot 7 for 34 on 3s and 30 for 90 overall. ... The Blazers have lost 11 out of the last 12 to the Warriors and 11 straight at Oracle Arena.

Warriors: Thompson matched Hall of Famer Rick Barry for second place on the franchise list for postseason games played with 66. ... Livingston sat out with a sprained right index finger and bruised hand, while F Matt Barnes didn't play as he is still working back from a sprained right ankle and foot. ... Rookie Patrick McCaw earned his first playoff start in place of Durant and had nine points and five rebounds. ... Curry joined Barry as the only Warriors with 100 steals in the playoffs.

UP NEXT

Kerr hopes to have a healthy lineup for Game 3, though might choose to hold out Durant again given the series lead.

Durant shines in Golden State playoff debut in Game 1 win

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Kevin Durant patted his chest after two big baskets in the fourth quarter and let everybody know "I got this!" Stephen Curry knocked down a timely baseline 3-pointer, reached his hand high and gestured to further ignite a raucous sellout crowd.

On a day Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum put on a dazzling display of shot-making for Portland, the NBA's top-seeded team of superstars found its touch down the stretch and defended with purpose.

Durant had 32 points and 10 rebounds in his Golden State playoff debut, Curry scored 29 points, and the Warriors withstood that sensational day by the Trail Blazers' dynamic backcourt duo to win Game 1 of the first-round series 121-109 on Sunday.

McCollum scored a playoff career-best 41 points, and Lillard had 34, but the Warriors made the crucial big plays on both ends down the stretch with Portland missing injured center Jusuf Nurkic.

"When they got it going, they're hitting tough shots in the first half, some you've just got to live with, we played great defense," Curry said. "They were just able to finish, but over the course of 48 you just try to wear them down."

Draymond Green had 19 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, five blocked shots and three steals to help last season's second-place team take the first step in what it is counting on to be a championship run.

Durant shot 12 for 20, showing no issues with a recent left knee injury that sidelined him 19 games before he returned for the final three regular-season contests with the NBA-best Warriors.

"The game ratchets up when you get into the playoffs," Durant said. "I definitely felt good out there."

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.

The opener in a rematch of last season's Western Conference semifinals won in five games by Golden State didn't disappoint featuring two of the NBA's best backcourt duos. There was a little of everything: physical play, trash talk, deep 3-pointers, monster blocked shots and dazzling dunks. After one flurry of a third-quarter sequence when several players on both teams hit the floor trying to secure a loose ball, four towel guys frantically wiped down the court.

Durant got going fast. KD drove the lane for a one-handed slam midway through the first then knocked down a 3 from the top about a minute later. After missing a dunk but getting fouled, Durant pounded the basket stanchion with his right fist in frustration.

He vowed to take his game to another level as a new season begins - not to mention the quest for his first title.

As the final period got underway, Ian Clark did what he often does to give the Blazers fits and chipped in during a 15-2 run on the way to 12 points off the bench. The 6-foot-3 guard scored a putback off his own miss in the paint one possession then knocked down a 3-pointer the next as Golden State went ahead 97-90 with 8:59 remaining.

McCollum shot 11 of 15 in the first half then began the second 2 for 7 and finished his day 16 of 28, while Lillard went 12 for 26. McCollum's 27 first-half points matched a Portland playoff record for a half and he and Lillard had 48 of their team's 56 at the break.

"You've got to give them a lot of credit, they got it going," Green said. "At some point you have to make them miss."

The Warriors' defensive intensity after halftime was the difference in the Blazers' minds - and Lillard expects everybody to do more.

"Dame and CJ, if they get 80 between them we've still got to score another 40 or 50 from somewhere," coach Terry Stotts said.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: McCollum is the eighth Portland player with 40-point playoff performance, the second ever of his career. ... Lillard and McCollum are the first Blazers teammates to score 34 or more points in a playoff game since Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter on May 19, 1992. ... Their 75 points were two off the franchise playoff record by teammates.

Warriors: Curry moved by Wilt Chamberlain (507) for second place on the Warriors list for career playoff field goals. ... Curry hit a 3-pointer in his NBA record 59th consecutive playoff game, making his first 1:17 into the game. ... Green emphatically blocked a shot by Noah Vonleh in the third as the Portland center playing in place of Nurkic was going up with one hand to dunk.

UP NEXT

The Warriors hope to get forward Matt Barnes back from a sprained right ankle and foot Wednesday night for Game 2, while the Blazers were uncertain when Nurkic might be ready to return.

"To be determined," Stotts said.

Crabbe has 25 points and Blazers beat Minnesota 105-98

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Allen Crabbe said he just had the feeling that the shots he put up were going to fall.

They did, and nearly all of them were from beyond the arc.

Crabbe had 25 points, including a career-high eight 3-pointers, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-98 Thursday night to snap a two-game losing streak.

There was a span in the fourth quarter where Crabbe scored 10 points in 48 seconds in route to the comeback win.

"You just have that feeling: Everything I threw up there was just going in," he said.

Blazers coach Terry Stotts said simply: "I love seeing a shooter get on a roll like that."

Damian Lillard added 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Portland, which held onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference at 1 1/2 games ahead of Denver with three games to go.

Andrew Wiggins had 36 points for the Timberwolves, who have already been eliminated. Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 16 rebounds.

After trailing by 15 points in the third quarter, Crabbe's running 3-pointer gave the Blazers a 92-89 lead with 8:25 left. Lillard added a layup and Crabbe made another 3 to push the lead to 97-91 while the Timberwolves went cold.

Wiggins' pull-up jumper narrowed it to 99-94 with 2:40 left. Lillard made a pair of free throws with just under a minute to go and the Timberwolves couldn't catch up.

"I thought we did a pretty good job overall with the rebounding and the defense, then we let Crabbe get loose, we got off his body and gave him air space and that was a problem," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said.

It was the third time the teams played in two weeks. On Monday, Towns had 34 points and Minnesota snapped Portland's six-game winning streak with a 110-109 home victory.

The game at the Target Center was originally scheduled to be played on March 6, but condensation on the court forced it to be postponed - the reason for the quirky schedule between the two teams. The Blazers beat the Timberwolves 112-100 on March 25 in Portland.

It was the fourth game for Portland without big man Jusuf Nurkic, who sparked the team after coming over in a trade from Denver at the deadline. He will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a fractured right leg but was out on the court putting up practice shots about 90 minutes before tip on Thursday.

Minnesota outscored the Blazers 34-20 in the first quarter, led by Ricky Rubio with 13 points.

Portland struggled from the field throughout the first half and couldn't close the gap. The Timberwolves led 61-53 at the break, led by Wiggins with 21.

Minnesota extended the lead to 70-55 in the third quarter on Brandon Rush's dunk.

Portland rallied to get within 72-65 on Lillard's layup. Eric Turner got the Blazers closer with a layup before CJ McCollum hit on a 3 that cut Minnesota's lead to 72-70. Noah Vonleh made a pair of free throws to tie it and cap a 17-2 Portland run.

The Blazers pulled close again with 9:13 left when Crabbe's 3-pointer and free throw narrowed it to 87-86. Portland finally went ahead on another 3 by Crabbe.

The free throw was Crabbe's only point that didn't come from a 3-pointer.

"I hit the first couple ones, and it just felt good tonight, man," Crabbe said.

The Blazers outscored Minnesota 25-11 in the fourth quarter.

Stotts said that of course he'd like to have already sewn up a spot in the playoffs, but this time of year is exciting for the league.

"It's fun to be a part of it. You look at the East with three or four teams playing for a spot," Stotts said. "It's a fun time of year."

TIP INS

Timberwolves: Even though the Timberwolves have been eliminated, Thibodeau said the team was taking steps in the right direction. "You have to build a foundation, and you have to do it step by step," he said before the game. It was Towns' 58th double-double this season.

Trail Blazers: Al-Farouq Aminu had his sixth straight game scoring in double digits, a career high. He finished with 15 points.

MORE CRABBE: He was a 3-pointer shy of the franchise record for the most 3-pointers off the bench, set by Nicolas Batum with nine in a game against Denver in early 2012.

"We were aware of him. He's a good player, a really good shooter," Wiggins said. "We've just got to find him in transition."

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: At Utah on Friday night.

Trail Blazers: Host Utah on Saturday night.

Jazz, Blazers meet twice with playoff implications

Stats, LLC

SALT LAKE CITY -- No other NBA teams have their playoff fates so fully intertwined as the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers do down the stretch.

Utah and Portland meet twice this week, first in Salt Lake City on Tuesday followed by a rematch in Oregon on Saturday. Plenty is at stake for both teams, especially with each one trying to bounce back from a loss. The Jazz fell to the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 on Sunday, and the Minnesota Timberwolves edged the Blazers 110-109 on Monday.

Wins over Portland would put Utah a step closer to clinching a top-four seed. The Jazz (47-30) are currently fourth in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Blazers (38-39) likely need at least one win over the Jazz to stay a step ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the West. Portland has a 1 1/2-game lead over Denver at the moment.

The Jazz own a six-game home winning streak and have held opponents to 96.2 points per game during that stretch. That is in line with what Utah has done in its home arena all season. Jazz opponents shoot just 43.4 percent from the field -- including 36.8 percent from long distance -- when they come to Salt Lake City.

"You know that is who we want to be," Jazz center Rudy Gobert said. "We want to be a defensive team. If we do that, we always have a chance to win."

The desire is one reason why Utah has held opponents under 90 points a league-best 24 times this season. The defensive consistency has also helped the Jazz stay afloat through injuries.

Patching together lineups has been a season-long concern for Utah. Most recently, the Jazz have been without point guards George Hill and Raul Neto. Both players have missed three consecutive games with groin strains.

"The timing isn't great because we're competing for seeding and all those things and home court," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "But this team's been able to sustain through that type of adversity all year, so I expect the same (now)."

Portland will offer a stiff challenge to Utah. The Blazers are arguably the hottest team in the NBA right now. They have won nine of 11 games and are 14-4 since the start of March -- although the loss to the Timberwolves snapped a six-game winning streak.

Going on this run has transformed Portland. The Blazers have gone from a seemingly lottery-bound team to a dangerous first-round opponent if they make the playoffs.

Other NBA teams have taken notice. Damian Lillard was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for March after averaging 29.1 points, 6.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 16 games during that stretch.

Lillard had a shot at a game-winning basket against the Timberwolves in the final seconds, but the ball glanced off the rim. He knows the Blazers can't afford any more missteps with the Nuggets breathing down their neck.

"You just want to win this game," Lillard said. "We've been on a roll. Coming in against a team that doesn't really have anything to play for, you want to come in here and take advantage of that."

Utah and Portland split their previous two meetings this season. The Jazz won the most recent game in Salt Lake City, beating the Blazers 111-88 on February 15. Gordon Hayward led Utah with 22 points and seven assists to fuel the rout.

Timberwolves snap Blazers' 6-game streak, 110-109

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) As Karl-Anthony Towns powered through Portland's smaller frontcourt, the Trail Blazers found out just how much they're going to miss big man Jusuf Nurkic down the stretch.

Towns had 34 points and 12 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped Portland's six-game winning streak with a 110-109 victory over the Trail Blazers on Monday night.

It was the second game for Portland without Nurkic, who galvanized the team after coming over in a trade from Denver at the deadline.

He will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a fractured right leg, leaving the Blazers to battle big frontcourts in San Antonio, Utah and one more time against Minnesota without him and just a 1 1/2-game cushion on Denver for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

"There's a lot of good bigs out there, and we're thin right now. We've got Meyers (Leonard) and (Al-Farouq Aminu), who's not really a five," C.J. McCollum said. "So we're in a tough position, but it's not an excuse. We've got to go out there and play and make the best of it."

Damian Lillard scored 25 points but made just 7 of 21 shots, including 3 of 11 3-pointers. His potential game-winning pull-up jumper at the buzzer glanced off the rim.

Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points and Ricky Rubio had 11 points, 16 assists and seven rebounds for the Timberwolves, who bounced back from an ugly home loss to Sacramento that eliminated them from postseason contention on Saturday.

"They're playing small, we have a big who can guard smalls and play like a big at the other end," Rubio said of Towns. "That's big for us."

Aminu scored 20 points and Maurice Harkless had 17 points, eight rebounds and a big block of a Rubio drive that gave the Blazers the ball back with 4.9 seconds to play.

Lillard got a clean look, but couldn't knock it down and Portland missed a golden chance to pad its lead on Denver in a tense race.

The Blazers beat lowly Phoenix in their first game without Nurkic and went super-small on Monday against the Wolves with Aminu and Harkless seeing some time at center.

The sleek lineup put the Blazers in control with a 34-point second quarter, but the 7-foot Towns had his way in the fourth. He scored 14 points in the period, including a big dunk for a 110-106 lead with 35 seconds to go.

"We just had a hard time," Lillard said. "Guys competed hard on him. We made it as hard as we could on him, but he's very good and he's going to score points. That's what happened."

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Terry Stotts was the Western Conference coach of the month and Lillard was the conference's player of the month as Portland finished March at 13-3. ... Lillard's first 3 of the game in the third quarter gave him 200 for the season, the third time he's done that in his career. Wes Matthews is the only other Blazers player to do it even one time.

Timberwolves: Brandon Rush scored 12 points, giving him back-to-back double-digit efforts for the first time since Jan. 11-13. ... Rubio hit a technical free throw in the third quarter after the Blazers were whistled for defensive 3 seconds. It was his 49th straight technical free throw made, the longest active streak in the league.

MCCOLLUM STRUGGLES

McCollum struggled as well, scoring 17 points on 5-for-14 shooting and 0 for 3 on 3s. He scored 43 and 32 points in his first two games against the Wolves.

"I think I've got to be more aggressive at certain times," he said.

MAKEUP GAME

Both teams are set up for difficult back-to-backs because this game had to be shoe-horned into the schedule. It was originally scheduled to be played on March 6, but an ice sheet that was placed under the court so Target Center could host a college hockey tournament started to melt due to unseasonably warm weather. That caused condensation on the court that could not be corrected, so the league postponed the game.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Portland travels to Utah for a tough back-to-back on Tuesday.

Timberwolves: Minnesota heads to the Bay Area to play Golden State on Tuesday. The Wolves are the last team to beat the Warriors, doing so in Minnesota on March 10.

Blazers at .500 with 6th straight win, 130-117 over Suns

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Damian Lillard joked that no team goes into the season hoping to play at .500.

Yet the Trail Blazers were happy to pull to 38-38 on the season Saturday night with a 130-117 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Lillard had 31 points as Portland continued its late-season push for the playoffs with a sixth straight victory.

"We feel like we're the team right now that we should have been all along, the way we're playing. And all that matters is getting that playoff spot," Lillard said. "I guess it's good to be .500, but nobody comes into the season saying, `Let's play .500 basketball.' We wish we were in a better position."

CJ McCollum added 29 points for Portland, which holds the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blazers (38-38) led by as many as 25 points and got back to .500 for the first time since they were 12-12 on Dec. 9.

Devin Booker had 31 for the Suns, who lost their 11th straight for the fifth-longest losing streak in franchise history. Phoenix was just ahead of the Lakers at the bottom of the Western Conference.

"We're here to get better by not making the same mistakes," Booker said. "We're getting a chance to play, but we need to treat it like it's do-or-die time. It's not often that rookies get this many minutes so as a young group we need to come together and play like we're trying to do something here."

The Blazers played their first game without Jusuf Nurkic since announcing that he had a fractured right leg and will miss the rest of the regular season.

The 7-foot center was credited with boosting Portland's late-season surge. In 20 games since coming to the Blazers in a trade with Denver, Nurkic was averaging 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

Nurkic, who has a non-displaced right leg fibular fracture, will be re-evaluated in two weeks. It was unclear when the injury occurred.

"The goal is still to make the playoffs and everybody will have to do more," coach Terry Stotts said.

Grateful that the injury wasn't more serious, Nurkic said he will follow what the team doctors say so that he can return quicker.

"It's part of the life, part of the job. I'm not going to be negative," he said before the game.

Meyers Leonard started in Nurkic's place.

The Suns pulled within four at 99-95 on Alan Williams' layup early in the fourth quarter. But after a pair of free throws, Al-Farouq Aminu dunked to extend Portland's lead to 103-95.

The Blazers jumped out to an early 20-6 lead after McCollum's 3-pointer. Aminu pushed the lead to 32-15 with another 3.

The Suns had no spark and Portland extended its lead to 48-25 on Maurice Harkless' reverse layup and Evan Turner's 3-pointer in the second quarter.

Phoenix closed the gap to 61-53 on a follow dunk from Marquese Chriss and T.J. Warren's fast-break dunk late in the half, and the Blazers went into the break with a 63-53 lead. McCollum led all scorers with 14 points.

Booker's layup got the Suns within 63-55, but McCollum and Lillard made consecutive 3-pointers to pull away again.

Lillard hit a 3-pointer from about 30 feet out to give Portland an 84-69 lead, then raised his arms as the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Our guys are young, they're still fighting," Phoenix coach Earl Watson said. "They're still trying to create an identity."

TIP INS

Suns: Phoenix was without Leandro Barbosa for the fourth straight game because of right hamstring spasms. ... The Suns won only the first of the four-game season series with the Blazers.

Trail Blazers: The Blazers recalled guard Tim Quarterman from the Long Island Nets of the NBA Development League. ... Stotts wore a University of Oregon pullover in his pregame chat with the media. The Blazers' game started at about halftime of the Ducks' Final Four game against North Carolina.

LILLARD'S NEW MILESTONES: Lillard keeps adding to his legacy as a Trail Blazer. With his 31 points Saturday night, he reached 1,902 for the season, a new career high. He also had his 26th game of the season with 30 or more points, tying the franchise record reached by Kiki Vandeweghe and Clyde Drexler.

UP NEXT

Suns: host the Rockets on Sunday night.

Trail Blazers: visit the Timberwolves on Monday. The game was originally scheduled for March 6 but was postponed because of condensation on the floor at Target Center.