PORTLAND, Ore. — Damian Lillard had 28 points and nine assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-93 on Friday night for their seventh win in the last eight games.
Lillard, who had scored at least 40 points in two of Portland’s previous three games, had 19 second-half points for the Blazers (24-7). Wesley Matthews went 7 of 14 from 3-point range and finished with 25 points.
Joel Freeland pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds, most by a Blazer this season. Nicolas Batum added 14 points for Portland.
Tony Wroten, who missed Philadelphia’s last game with a right knee sprain, came off the bench to score 22 points. Michael Carter-Williams had 17 points and K.J. McDaniels finished with 12.
Philadelphia (4-24) had won two in a row.
Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge was sidelined with an upper respiratory infection for the second time in three games.
Lillard and Matthews got rolling during the third quarter. Matthews made back-to-back 3-pointers, and Lillard scored 12 consecutive points for Portland in one stretch. The duo scored 22 of the team’s 27 third-quarter points as Portland increased its lead to 88-74.
The Blazers’ 3-point shooting played a huge role. Portland shot 18 of 43 from long range, while Philadelphia made 3 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc. The Blazers lead the NBA in 3-point shooting defence at 29.9 per cent.
Leading 27-24 after the first quarter, Portland put together a dazzling display of 3-point shooting. The Blazers made seven 3s, including three by Matthews, to build a lead as large as 16 points. Dorell Wright’s 3-pointer just before the buzzer gave Portland a 61-51 halftime lead.
TIP INS
76ers: During the past 13 games, Carter-Williams is averaging 17.0 points, 9.4 assists and 7.3 rebounds. Carter-Williams and Houston’s James Harden are the only NBA players averaging at least 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds a game this season.
Trail Blazers: Aside from missing Aldridge, the Blazers also were without Chris Kaman (birth of child), and fellow centre Robin Lopez missed his sixth consecutive game (right hand fracture). Batum returned to action after missing Tuesday’s game at Oklahoma City with a right wrist sprain.
UP NEXT
76ers: Visit Utah on Saturday.
Trail Blazers: Host the New York Knicks on Sunday.
