Bucks, Celtics, Knicks advance in NBA In-Season Tournament

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and Damian Lillard added 32 as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Miami, 131-124, on Tuesday to reach the knockout rounds of the NBA In-Season Tournament.

On the final night of group-stage play in the NBA's inaugural version of a World Cup, the Bucks won the East Group B crown at 4-0, taking the top Eastern Conference seed in the fight to reach next month's semi-finals in Las Vegas.

"We completed the task," Milwaukee's Khris Middleton said. "To get to Vegas now, we've got to do a little bit more.

"We want it. We're hungry for it. It's exciting times for us. We want to go to Vegas so we're happy."

The quarterfinals will find Boston at Indiana and New Orleans at Sacramento on Monday, with New York at Milwaukee and Phoenix at the Los Angeles Lakers next Tuesday.

Boston routed Chicago, 124-97, to win East Group C and advance, while New York, second behind Milwaukee in Group B, beat Charlotte, 115-91, and advanced as a wildcard based on superior point differential over Cleveland, 42-29.

Sacramento edged Golden State, 124-123, to win West Group C, rallying from 24 points down in the second quarter to advance.

The Warriors knew they had to win by 12 points to win the group on a point differential tiebreaker and took a 72-55 half-time lead before the Kings, led by 29 points from De'Aaron Fox, rallied late to trim the margin then swipe the triumph.

"We still wanted to win the game, it counts for the regular season, but we knew what the number was," Fox said.

Phoenix took a West wildcard spot when Minnesota beat Oklahoma City, 106-103, while New Orleans won West Group B when the Dallas Mavericks downed visiting Houston, 121-115.

At Miami, the Bucks opened a 15-2 lead, Miami answered with a 16-4 run, then Milwaukee closed the first quarter on a 12-4 spurt for a 31-22 lead.

"We started out great, but it's hard," Middleton said.

"You're just not going to knock a team down in the first five minutes. They did a great job coming back. We did a great job keeping our composure and finding a way to close this thing out."

Miami, lacking Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro due to ankle sprains, led 97-93 after three quarters.

Middleton, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, hit back-to-back jumpers for a four-point lead and dunks by Brook Lopez and Antetokounmpo settled matters.

"Thankfully I was able to hit a couple shots," Middleton said. "I'm just happy we won a tough game."

Antetokounmpo made 11-of-16 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line and grabbed 10 rebounds with five assists, while Lillard, 9-of-18 from the floor and 10-of-10 from the line, added nine assists.

At New York, Julius Randle scored 25 points and grabbed 20 rebounds while Immanuel Quickley had 23 points off the bench to spark the Knicks.

Boston needed a lopsided win to advance and got it as Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and passed off six assists to lead the hosts over Chicago.

Jayson Tatum added 21 points and Al Horford had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Celtics.

Injuries hit Warriors 

Golden State's Chris Paul went out in the first quarter with lower left leg soreness and Gary Payton II went down with a right calf injury in the third quarter at Sacramento, which had lost two prior meetings with the Warriors this season.

Golden State's Draymond Green, back from a five-game ban for putting Minnesota's Rudy Gobert in a headlock, received a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing referee calls.

Dallas star Luka Doncic dominated Houston with 41 points, nine rebounds and nine assists while Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Mavs, keeping the Rockets winless on the road this season.

Western Conference overall season leader Minnesota (13-4) hung on to top spot by edging visiting Oklahoma City (11-6).

Anthony Edwards, who left the game with a bruised right hip, led the Timberwolves with 21 points, while Gobert added 17 points and 16 rebounds.

But Phoenix took the West wildcard on point differential 34-0 over Minnesota.

Agence France-Presse

Damian Lillard is being traded from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks, AP source says, ending long saga

Damian Lillard is being traded by Portland to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Wednesday, a deal that ends his 11-year run with the Trail Blazers and a three-month saga surrounding his wish to be moved elsewhere in hopes of winning an NBA title.

The seven-time All-Star — a player so elite that he was selected to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team — goes from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks in a three-team deal that sends Jrue Holiday from the Bucks to Portland, Deandre Ayton from Phoenix to Portland and Jusuf Nurkic from the Blazers to the Suns, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because none of the involved teams had announced the agreement.

As with all trades, it cannot be finalized until NBA attorneys review the terms and approve the deal.

It became known on July 1 that Lillard asked the Trail Blazers for a trade, which he was long speculated to be considering given his desire to play for a contender and Portland not seeming to have much of a chance with its current roster.

He wanted to go to Miami and made that clear. Portland decided not to accommodate that request, and instead, it’s the Bucks who now have an incredibly strong 1-2 punch of Lillard and Antetokounmpo heading into the new season.

The trade continues the Bucks’ dramatic offseason makeover in response to their surprising first-round playoff loss to Miami.

They followed up that playoff loss by firing coach Mike Budenholzer and replacing him with Adrian Griffin, who spent the last five seasons as a Toronto Raptors assistant. Now they trade away the two-time All-Star Holiday to acquire Lillard, a seven-time All-NBA selection.

The acquisition of Lillard comes after Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, told The New York Times over the summer that he wanted to see how committed the Bucks are toward winning another championship before deciding whether to sign a long-term deal to stay in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo’s contract runs through the 2024-25 season, with a player option for 2025-26.

Bringing Lillard to Milwaukee certainly suggests the commitment is there. It also keeps the high-scoring guard away from Miami, one of the Bucks’ biggest Eastern Conference challengers.

When Lillard’s request was made public by the Blazers, general manager Joe Cronin said he would do “what’s best for the team” while grudgingly seeking to facilitate his wishes.

In the end, the deal with Bucks is what Cronin and the Blazers deemed best for all involved. It took a massive package to make the trade happen, especially because Lillard is owed a ransom over the next four years. He will make almost $46 million this coming season and could make as much as $216 million over the next four years if he exercises his option for the 2026-27 season.

It will be a large, and possibly very worthwhile, investment because acquiring Lillard figures to make the Bucks even more of a title contender. He averaged 32.2 points per game this past season, has averaged at least 24 points per game in each of the last eight seasons and has an offensive ignitability that few players in the NBA possess.

He became just the seventh player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game when he finished with 71 against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 26. The other names on that list are Wilt Chamberlain (who did it five times), Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor and Donovan Mitchell.

All six of the other players on that list were between 23 and 28 when they had their games of 71 points or more; Lillard was 32, a clear indicator that — even after 11 NBA seasons — he’s far from past his prime.

He has been great. The Blazers have not. And evidently, he didn’t see that changing anytime soon.

Lillard was beloved in Portland, but the speculation about his future with the team only intensified when the Blazers took point guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick in the June draft rather than package the pick for a proven commodity that could immediately help transform the team into a contender.

Portland won only four playoff series in Lillard’s 11 seasons, getting to the Western Conference Finals once. The team went 33-49 this past season, the second consecutive year of finishing well outside the playoff picture.

That’s not Lillard’s fault. His career average of 25.2 points per game ranks 11th among all players in NBA history who have appeared in at least 500 games. He’s had 17 games of at least 50 points in his career — two of them in the playoffs — and is a past rookie of the year, teammate of the year and winner of the NBA’s citizenship award.

He’s been an Olympic gold medalist, was the unanimous selection as MVP of the seeding games when the “bubble” season resumed at Walt Disney World during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and even won the 3-point contest at All-Star weekend in February.

And he has an absolute flair for drama. His series-winning shot to eliminate Oklahoma City from the 2019 NBA playoffs — a stepback 3-pointer over Paul George from nearly 40 feet as time expired — is one of the iconic postseason moments in not just Portland history but NBA history as well.

-Associated Press

NBA star Lillard wants trade, prefers deal to Miami: reports

NEW YORK -- Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has requested a trade and the seven-time NBA All-Star guard prefers a deal to the Miami Heat, according to multiple reports on Saturday.

Lillard, who turns 33 on July 15, is due $204 million over the next four years. He has spent all 11 of his NBA campaigns with Portland but has gone past the second round only once in eight trips to the playoffs.

Lillard's request was reported by ESPN and The Athletic with the Miami Herald also reporting Lillard wants only the Heat, being a close friend of Heat star Bam Adebayo and having respect for playmaker Jimmy Butler.

Butler and Adebayo were keys in the Heat making a run from the play-in games to the NBA Finals last month, where Miami lost to the Denver Nuggets.

Lillard averaged a career-high 32.2 points and 7.3 assists and matched a career-best by shooting 46.3% over 58 games last season. He would be the largest point scorer in NBA history to swap teams for the next campaign, ESPN reported.

"We want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and he'd prefer to play someplace else," Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said.

"What has not changed for us is that we're committed to winning, and we are going to do what's best for the team in pursuit of that goal."

Portland finished 33-49 and missed the playoffs for the second season in a row.

The Trail Blazers are expected to want young talent and draft picks in exchange from any team interested in Lillard. Those with salary cap room to make the deal include the Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets.

Players on the Heat who could be moved in exchange likely include guards Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro and forward Duncan Robinson.

ESPN reported Lillard has a "deep respect" for the San Antonio Spurs, who just landed French teen star big man Victor Wembanyama. But the Spurs finished 22-60 last season and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive campaign.

Lillard played under Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on the US Tokyo Olympic gold medal squad.

The Spurs also have the most salary cap space available among NBA clubs in the latest round of free agency.

Another talented guard in a similar situation is Philadelphia's James Harden, a three-time NBA scoring champion who opted in on a one-year deal and also seeks a trade.

Lillard's requested move was revealed only hours after the start of NBA free agency for the 2023-24 season.

Talks were allowed to begin Friday but no contracts can be signed until next Thursday, leaving only unconfirmed reports to signal the flow of talent around the NBA as dozens of deals were said to have been agreed upon by clubs and available players.

Among those deals was Portland's pact with forward Jerami Grant on a five-year deal worth $160 million, ESPN and The Athletic said.

- Lopez stays with Bucks -

Fred VanVleet, a 29-year-old point guard who helped Toronto win the 2019 crown, is going to Houston on a three-year deal worth $130 million.

But center Brook Lopez has agreed to a two-year deal worth $48 million to stay with the Bucks. He was among Houston's reported targets.

The Bucks, the 2021 NBA champions, reportedly agreed to a three-year deal Friday with forward Khris Middleton.

Keeping both players should help ensure the Bucks also keep Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who could become a free agent in 2025.

Houston made a four-year deal worth $80 million with Canadian swingman Dillon Brooks, dropped by Memphis after calling LeBron James "old" before his Los Angeles Lakers beat Memphis in six games in the playoffs.

Houston also agreed to a four-year deal worth $32 million with center Jock Landle.

The Lakers will reportedly keep guard D'Angelo Russell on a two-year deal worth $37 million while the Clippers keep Russell Westbrook with a two-year deal.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Lillard wins NBA 3-point title with unknown McClung Dunk king

Portland's Damian Lillard won the Three-Point Contest and unheralded Mac McClung captured the Slam Dunk Contest crown on Saturday at NBA All-Star Game weekend festivities.

Seven-time NBA All-Star Lillard, a member of the US Tokyo Olympic gold medal team, was a college star at nearby Weber State, adding to his joy at winning the long-range shootout in his third attempt.

"It makes it that much more special," Lillard said. "They say the third time is the charm and I'm happy that it happened here. It's a perfect situation. I'm happy I could do it in my homecoming here to Utah."

The shocker came in the Slam Dunk Contest when McClung, called up from the developmental G-League by the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the week, captured the dunk crown with a perfect score in the final.

"It's great. I'm truly blessed and grateful to the NBA for giving me this opportunity," McClung said. "I don't get surprised by things like this but I'm very appreciative."

The 6-foot-2 (1.88m) guard from rural Virginia had played only four NBA games but from his high school days was known for acrobatic dunks and after accepting the trophy from Julius Erving vowed to defend his crown, something few NBA stars do.

"If you'll have me I'll be back," McClung said.

McClung added his name to a history of dunk champions that includes Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant.

Among past 3-point champions were Larry Bird, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

"The best shooters in the history of our game, most of them have one of these," Lillard said of the 3-point trophy. "To be in this competition a few times and not have one, I just wanted to get it done at least one time.

"I'm happy I got it. Now I can retire from it."

Tyrese Haliburton and 2020 3-point contest winner Buddy Hield, both of the Indiana Pacers, joined Lillard in qualifying for the final. It was Lillard who shot last and eliminated Boston's Jayson Tatum and Utah's Lauri Markkanen.

Hield began the final with 25 points but Lillard sank his last four shots from the left corner to score 26. Haliburton missed eight of his first 10 shots and finished third on 17.

- McClung marvels crowd -

McClung had the only perfect score on the first round by leaping over a man sitting on another man's shoulders, tapping the ball on the backboard and making a reverse dunk.

"It was great," he said. "Getting my first dunk down felt really good."

McClung had the crowd roaring again with a 360-degree mid-air spin and slam to set the stage for the final.

Going for the trophy against Trey Murphy of New Orleans, McClung began by grabbing a ball being held aloft, then lifted it up, brought it down and made a reverse slam dunk.

His capper came when he donned his high school jersey from Gate City, ran to the hoop, did a 540-degree spin and made a reverse jam for a perfect score that made the crowd erupt and sealed his triumph.

The Utah Jazz trio of Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler won the Skills Challenge, consisting of passing, shooting and a relay course.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Blazers backcourt shines in comfy win vs. Nuggets

CJ McCollum scored 32 points and Damian Lillard added 25 as the Portland Trail Blazers notched an easy 119-100 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.

Norman Powell recorded 15 points and three steals and Anfernee Simons added 14 points as Portland improved to 9-1 at home. Nassir Little contributed 13 points as the Trail Blazers completed a 4-0 homestand.

Jeff Green scored 24 points for the Nuggets, who lost their fifth straight contest. Monte Morris added 16 points for Denver.

The Nuggets played without reigning MVP Nikola Jokic (wrist) for the third straight game. Denver also continues to play without Michael Porter Jr. (back), while Jamal Murray remains sidelined from April's ACL injury.

Will Barton registered 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and Aaron Gordon tallied 11 points for the Nuggets, who shot 48.7 percent from the field and made 15 of 33 from 3-point range.

McCollum and Lillard each made five 3-pointers for Portland, which shot 51.1 percent from the field and was 15 of 39 from behind the arc. The Trail Blazers committed just nine turnovers while forcing Denver into 19.

Lillard has scored at least 20 points in eight straight games to emerge from an early-season slump.

McCollum scored 19 points, including a floater as time expired, and Lillard added 18 as Portland held a 66-52 lead at the break.

Lillard made four 3-pointers in the final 4:18 of the half, three coming during a 16-0 surge that gave the Trail Blazers a 15-point lead.

Green scored 15 first-half points for Denver.

Portland held a double-digit lead for most of the third quarter. McCollum again made a buzzer beater at the end of the stanza as the Trail Blazers took a 90-79 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Portland led 99-82 after a bucket by Simons with 8:55 remaining. The Nuggets crept within 12 on Barton's 3-pointer with 6:32 left before the Trail Blazers answered with a 15-3 push to make it 119-95 with 50.3 seconds left.

-reuters-

NBA: Blazers pull away from shorthanded Lakers

Damian Lillard bounced back from one of the worst performances of his NBA career to score 25 points and lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 105-90 win against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

Lillard was held to four points in a win against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, matching the lowest output of his career. Lillard shot 2-for-13 from the floor against Indiana and missed all six of his 3-point attempts.

He bounced back to make 9-of-19 against the short-handed Lakers, including 6-of-14 from 3-point range. Jusuf Nurkic contributed 15 points and 17 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.

The Lakers continued to be without four-time MVP LeBron James, who missed his second straight game with an abdominal strain.

Anthony Davis started against Portland, but the eight-time All-Star center played just seven minutes before departing because of a stomach illness. The team said it was non-COVID-19 related. Davis was also dealing with a sprained right thumb and was questionable to play at all.

The Lakers did not have a starter score in double figures.

Malik Monk scored 13 points, Carmelo Anthony had 12 and Dwight Howard 11 off the bench for Los Angeles.

The Lakers never led and fell behind by double digits for good when Nurkic made a driving layup off an assist from Lillard for a 21-10 lead with 5:16 left in the first quarter.

Portland stretched the lead to 34-12 with 51.5 seconds left in the opening quarter and maintained a 22-point advantage entering the second.

The Trail Blazers led by as many as 24 points in the second quarter before a scoring drought of nearly 4 1/2 minutes allowed the Lakers to claw back 14 points.

Portland managed to maintain its double digit-lead before taking a 51-36 advantage into the break.

The Lakers scored the first four points of the second half to pull within 11, but the Trail Blazers outscored Los Angeles 42-22 the rest of the quarter to take an 83-62 lead into the fourth.

-reuters-

NBA: Lillard not asking for trade, but wants urgency from Blazers

While saying his desire has been to play for the Trail Blazers "for my entire career," Portland star guard Damian Lillard acknowledged on Friday that he wants to see progress toward building a championship team.

The 31-year-old Lillard, a six-time All-Star who averaged 28.8 points and 7.5 assists per game this past season, both the second-best of his nine-year career, refuted a report from a basketball-based website that he was on the verge of asking for a trade.

Still, his comments, which came in Las Vegas after a practice for Team USA, were not a ringing endorsement for the franchise. 

"Right now I'm not sure what I'm going to do," he said, according to ESPN.

"What I can say is my intentions and my heart has always been set on being in a Trail Blazers uniform for my entire career. But I think over time, you want to win it all. And I want to win it all in a Trail Blazers uniform. 

"But we all have to be making strides toward that."

Lillard's contract with the Trail Blazers runs through 2024. Though Portland is a consistent playoff presence, having qualified for eight straight years, it has lost in the first round four times in the last five seasons.

The Blazers lost in six games to the Denver Nuggets in June. They advanced to the second round by beating Oklahoma City in five games in 2019, and had not escaped the first round since defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in 2016.

"The best way to put it is to be more urgent about what our next step is and how we move forward. We're not a bad team; we're a winning team," Lillard said.

"I just think we've reached that point where it's like, 'OK, it's not enough.' Do we actually want to win it all? Is that what we're shooting for? We've got to do things to show that," he added.

-reuters-

NBA: Nets edge Blazers despite Lillard's 60-point night

Damian Lillard became the first NBA player this season to score 60 points, but it wasn't enough as Joe Harris ignited a late run that propelled the visiting Brooklyn Nets to a 119-115 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Lillard drilled a running 34-footer at the final horn, allowing him to surpass his previous career high of 59 points set in April 2017 against the Utah Jazz.

There were three 60-point games in the NBA last season. Houston Rockets guard James Harden had a pair of 61-pointers, while guard Kemba Walker, then of the Charlotte Hornets, went for 60.

Lillard finished 19-for-33 from the field, 7-for-16 on 3-point tries and 15-for-15 from the free-throw line.

The one-man show wasn't enough to overcome 10 combined 3-pointers from Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyrie Irving. Dinwiddie led Brooklyn with 34 points off the bench, and Irving added 33 points.

The Nets outscored the Trail Blazers 48-33 from beyond the arc.

Brooklyn led for most of the first 40 minutes, including by 10 in the second quarter, before a pair of Lillard hoops put Portland on top 99-98 with 7:31 remaining.

The Nets' deficit was 103-98 with 5:45 to go before Dinwiddie scored from the interior and Harris drilled his back-to-back threes, producing a 106-103 lead.

Brooklyn never trailed again, completing a 17-2 run with a 3-pointer by Irving with 1:41 to go that created a 10-point margin at 115-105.

Lillard scored seven straight Portland points to get the host as close as 115-112 with 40.4 seconds to go, but Irving countered with a 9-footer with 17.8 seconds left to clinch it.

Dinwiddie's team-high point total came on 11-for-18 shooting overall and 6-for-10 accuracy from 3-point range.

Irving shot 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and found time for a game-high 6 assists.

Harris finished with 14 points for the Nets, who were opening a 9-day, 5-game trip, while Jarrett Allen had 10 points to complement a team-high 9 rebounds.

Anfernee Simons added 15 points for Portland, which lost its fourth straight, while Hassan Whiteside contributed 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Trail Blazers hand 76ers a home loss

Jusuf Nurkic scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the visiting Portland Trail Blazers past the Philadelphia 76ers 130-115 on Saturday afternoon.

Damian Lillard added 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds as the Trail Blazers won their third straight. Enes Kanter also had 16 points and eight rebounds as Portland won its second in a row away from home on a seven-game road trip.

Ben Simmons led the Sixers with 29 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds while Tobias Harris added 20 points.

JJ Redick struggled with just seven points on 1-of-10 shooting. Redick's streak of scoring in double figures in 64 straight games was snapped.

The Sixers played again without injured All-Star center Joel Embiid and guard/forward Furkan Korkmaz.

The Trail Blazers closed the first half on a 16-7 run to take a 59-56 lead into the locker room. Trailing by six late in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers continued to be aggressive on the offensive glass and it paid off.

Al-Farouq Aminu led Portland with 13 points in the half. Harris paced the Sixers with 13 on 5-of-8 shooting.

The Sixers committed only five turnovers but were able to muster just three offensive rebounds.

Maurice Harkless threw down a dunk off an alley-oop and Nurkic hit a baseline jumper to put the Trail Blazers ahead 76-62 with 7:07 remaining in the third.

Two free throws by Lillard put Portland up by 20 at 89-69 with 4:49 left in the third.

Simmons had a couple of late baskets, but the Sixers still trailed 100-82 after three quarters.

Nurkic continued to lead Portland, which dominated in virtually aspect through three quarters.

The game became quite chippy early in the fourth when Kanter and Simmons exchanged words and had to be separated by the officials. Simmons attempted to keep the Sixers somewhat close, but Portland kept coming up with huge shots.

Seth Curry's driving layup gave the Trail Blazers a 115-95 lead with 6:06 left.

It was more than enough of a cushion to hand the Sixers a rare home loss. The Sixers fell to 24-8 at home.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Blazers use 1-2 scoring punch to blast Jazz

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 66 points as the Portland Trail Blazers dismantled the Utah Jazz, 132-105, Wednesday night for their eighth straight home victory.

Lillard collected 36 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and McCollum scored 30 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by as many as 33 points.

Five players scored in double figures and all 11 who played scored for Portland, which shot 53.3 percent from the field, including 16 of 32 from 3-point range. The Blazers matched their season-high point total.

Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points for Utah, which had won nine of its previous 10 outings. Rudy Gobert added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Jazz.

Lillard and McCollum combined for 45 points to lift Portland to a 74-58 halftime lead. It equaled the Blazers' highest-scoring half of the season.

Utah cut the margin to 80-70 early in the third quarter. Portland came back with a 17-0 tear to make it 97-70. The Blazers increased the gap to 109-80 going into the final period.

Portland upped its lead to 121-88 with 8:24 left. The Jazz got no closer than 29 points the rest of the way.

Portland made eight of its first nine shots from the field to take a 17-13 lead.

Utah tied it at 17-17, but the Blazers went on a 23-4 roll to push their advantage to 40-21. Portland hit 18 of 24 shots from the field to take a 45-27 lead after one quarter. It was the Blazers' highest-scoring period of the season. McCollum was 9 of 9 from the field and scored 20 points in the quarter.

Portland's lead was 47-27 early in the second quarter. Utah responded with an 8-0 run to draw within 47-35. The Blazers answered with a 23-10 spurt to up the difference to 70-45.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Backcourt boosts Blazers past Clippers

Guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 48 points as the Portland Trail Blazers downed the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 116-105 Thursday night.

Lillard scored 25 points and McCollum added 23 as the Trail Blazers earned their third consecutive win and their sixth in the past seven outings. Jusuf Nurkic contributed 16 points and nine rebounds.

Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams each scored 20 points for the Clippers. Montrezl Harrell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both chipped in 19 points, and Tobias Harris had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the losers.

Lillard had 14 points and McCollum 12 as the Blazers took a 61-57 advantage into halftime. Gilgeous-Alexander and Harrell each had 12 for the Clippers.

Portland extended the difference to 81-70 on a 3-pointer by Lillard seven minutes into the third quarter. The Clippers used a 7-0 run to draw within 81-77 late in the quarter. The Blazers held an 84-81 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Blazers opened the final period on a 14-4 run to go ahead 98-85 with 7:21 remaining. The Clippers scored five in a row to cut it to 98-90 with 6:35 to go.

Williams scored on a driving layup to draw the Clippers within 105-97 with 4:18 left. Gallinari sank a pair at the line to make it 105-99 with 3:57 to play.

McCollum made a pair of free throws to give Portland a 107-99 advantage with 3:07 remaining. Gallinari scored on a rebound basket to cut it to 107-101 with 2:50 to go.

Nurkic scored inside to increase the margin to 109-101, but Gilgeous-Alexander answered with two at the line to make it 109-103 with 1:57 remaining.

McCollum's 3-pointer increased Portland's lead to 112-103 with 1:43 to play. The Clippers got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Lillard, McCollum and Nurkic scored eight points apiece as the Blazers jumped to a 24-20 lead. Portland carried a 37-28 advantage into the second quarter.

The Clippers went ahead 54-52 on a driving layup by Williams with 3:05 left in the second period. Portland took a four-point lead into the halftime break.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Backcourt boosts Blazers past Cavs

Guards CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard combined for 53 points as the Portland Trail Blazers swept to their 11th straight victory, a 113-105 decision over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.

McCollum scored 29 points and Lillard added 24 for the Trail Blazers, who have won 17 of their past 18 outings at Moda Center.

LeBron James totaled 35 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Cavaliers, who have lost five of their past eight games. Kyle Korver added 19 points for Cleveland.

McCollum scored 15 points to help stake the Blazers to a 59-54 halftime lead. James had 22 first-half points for the Cavaliers, who were still in the game despite being outrebounded 25-17.

Cleveland whittled the margin to 65-62, but Portland used a 16-4 spurt to push ahead 81-66. The Cavaliers responded by scoring seven in a row to close the margin to 81-73. The Blazers carried an 88-77 advantage into the final period.

Portland extended its lead to 101-86 on a Shabazz Napier 3-pointer with 7:37 remaining. George Hill got Cleveland within 103-93 on a 3-pointer with 5:57 left. Lillard's step-back jumper made it 105-93 with 4:47 to play. Korver's layup cut it to 105-95, and James' driving layup drew Cleveland within 105-97 with 3:56 to go.

Hill scored on a layup to trim the difference to 105-99 with 3:25 remaining. When Hill buried a trey with 2:55 to go, Portland's lead was only 105-102.

Al-Farouq Aminu sank a trey and Evan Turner converted a floater to stoke the Blazers' edge to 110-102. Jordan Clarkson's 3-pointer cut it to 110-105 with 1:41 to play.

James blew a driving layup, and when Lillard sank three consecutive free throws with 28.8 ticks left for a 113-105 lead, it was over.

The teams battled back and forth through a tight first quarter that ended in a 29-29 tie.

McCollum scored eight points in a row as the Blazers seized a 45-40 lead midway through the second quarter. McCollum's 3-pointer stoked the margin to 55-46 late in the quarter. Portland settled for a five-point bulge going into intermission.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Lillard scores 35 to lead Blazers over Timberwolves

Damian Lillard shook off a poor shooting start to score 35 points as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied for a 108-99 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night at Moda Center.

CJ McCollum added 19 points and Jusuf Nurkic and Shabazz Napier 16 apiece for the Trail Blazers (36-26), who won their fifth straight game overall and 12th of 13 at home.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves (38-27), who had won two straight. Andrew Wiggins added 21 points for Minnesota.

Lillard missed his first nine shots from the field - six of them from 3-point range - but scored 22 points in the second half, sinking 7 of 10 shots. The Blazers outscored the Wolves 33-21 in the fourth quarter.

Towns had 21 points and eight rebounds as Minnesota took a 49-44 lead into intermission, but it could have been more. Portland shot .327 in the half, going 0-for-13 from 3-point range.

Portland scored the first seven points of the third quarter to go ahead 51-49. The Wolves climbed back to go on top 76-66 late in the quarter. The Blazers cut it to 78-75 heading into the final period.

Towns hit a pair of free throws to give Minnesota an 86-84 lead with 6:30 remaining. Lillard's jumper tied it at 86-86.

Al-Farouq Aminu, McCollum and Lillard sank consecutive 3-point shots, the latter giving Portland a 95-86 advantage with 3:01 to go. The Wolves got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

The Timberwolves hit 10 of their first 17 shots but still led only 20-15. The Blazers finished 6-for-24 from the field - missing all 7 3-point attempts - yet trailed only 24-19 heading into the second quarter.

Minnesota extended the margin to 32-23. Portland closed to within 40-35, but the Wolves stepped it back up to 47-36. They settled for a five-point bulge at the half.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thomas returns as Cavs down Blazers

Damian Lillard outdueled Isaiah Thomas in a battle of returning All-Star guards on Tuesday night, but Thomas' team had the last laugh.

Thomas scored 17 points off the bench in his season and Cavaliers debut to help host Cleveland top the Portland Trail Blazers 127-110 despite Lillard's 25-point night.

Thomas, who before the game said he was excited to show fans what they wanted to see after he missed the first 36 games of the season recovering from a hip injury, did not disappoint.

The 5-foot-9 guard made 6 of 12 shots in 18 minutes, missing his first attempt -- a 3-point try with 3:36 remaining in the first quarter -- before making back-to-back buckets to close out the opening period.

"It was great," James said of Thomas' return. "Just to see him, his first basket, he had his pull-up shot going a little bit. It's a spark and jolt we need on our team right now."

Lillard was returning from a five-game absence caused by a right hamstring strain, but he had little trouble duplicating his past scoring dominance. He also had six assists but committed seven turnovers in 32 minutes.

LeBron James totaled 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds, Kevin Love added 19 points and seven boards, Jae Crowder scored 17 and Dwyane Wade had 15 and eight rebounds to help the Cavaliers (25-12) snap a three-game losing streak.

The Cavaliers earned their 13th consecutive home win.

Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum aided Lillard's efforts with 23 and 19 points respectively, while former Ohio State star Evan Turner scored 15 for the Trail Blazers.

Portland (19-18) had won three of four coming in.

Thomas, acquired from Boston in the offseason blockbuster that sent James' longtime running mate Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, will not play against his former team on the road in a back-to-back Wednesday night.

He got standing ovation when he checked out of game with 8:10 left in fourth quarter with the Cavaliers leading 102-91.

Portland led 56-53 at halftime and was within 91-87 entering the fourth.

Maurice Harkless' trey with 11:22 remaining tied the game at 91, but Cleveland went on a 12-0 run capped by a pair of Wade free throws with 8:10 left to create the key separation. The Cavaliers outscored the Trail Blazers 36-23 in the closing 12 minutes.

Portland is back home for two games starting Friday against Atlanta.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Curry scores 29 as Warriors eliminate Blazers

Stephen Curry bombed in a 3-pointer with 24.9 seconds remaining on Wednesday as the Golden State Warriors held off the Portland Trail Blazers 125-121 to seal the Western Conference semi-final playoff series four games to one.

The Warriors, who advanced to the Western finals for the second year in a row, await the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs semi-final.

Should the Thunder eliminate the Spurs in Game 6 on Thursday, the best-of-seven Western finals would begin on Monday in Oakland.

The fifth-seeded Trail Blazers gave the Warriors a battle in Game 5, leading early by as many as 11 and hanging within 118-116 with the basketball inside the final 50 seconds.

However, Klay Thompson harassed Damian Lillard into a miss from 17 feet, and Curry, freeing himself above the top of the key, nailed a 25-footer for the backbreaking hoop that put Golden State up 121-116.

Curry capped a 29-point game with four free throws in the final 18.2 seconds, helping Golden State record their eighth victory in 10 playoff games this year.

Thompson led the Warriors with 33 points, hitting 13 of 17 from the field and six of nine 3-point attempts.

Curry's 29 points were a result of 10-for-20 shooting, including 5-for-11 on 3-pointers.

In his first start since spraining a ligament in his right knee during the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, he went 36 minutes and found time for a game-high 11 assists.

Draymond Green added a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Shaun Livingston added 10 points for the Warriors, who have won seven straight at home over the Trail Blazers.

Lillard topped Portland with 28 points, but he shot just 7-for-24. He also had seven rebounds and seven assists.

Backcourt mate CJ McCollum came alive in the fourth quarter to finish with 27 points on 11-for-23 shooting.

Allen Crabbe (20), Al-Farouq Aminu (16) and Moe Harkless (13) also scored in double figures for Portland, who were playing their first-ever playoff series against Golden State.

Portland made 16 of its 36 3-point shots, outscoring the Warriors 48-42 from beyond the arc.

The Trail Blazers, who led for the first 29 minutes of the game, regained a 96-95 advantage on a driving hoop by McCollum with 10:45 remaining in the contest.

Golden State then ran off to its biggest lead of the night, getting 2- and 3-point hoops by reserve center Marreese Speights in an 11-3 run that produced a 106-99 advantage.

The Trail Blazers would not go away, though. McCollum buried a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to get Portland within 110-109 with 4:02 to go.

Andre Iguodala and Curry countered with 3-pointers for the Warriors, but McCollum completed a personal 11-point flurry with another trey and a 2-point jumper, keeping Portland's hopes alive at 118-114 with 2:24 to go.

The Trail Blazers used an early 10-0 burst to build a lead. Harkless and Lillard had 3-pointers in the run, which put Portland up 18-8 in the game's fifth minute.

The two 3-pointers were twice as many as the Warriors had in the first 16 minutes of the game.

The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, had six in the first quarter alone. And when Aminu dropped in a pair over a three-possession span midway through the second period, Portland had their biggest lead at 49-38 with 5:35 left in the half.

The Warriors chipped away, getting within 63-58 at the half behind 13 second-quarter points from Thompson.

Golden State momentum bridged the halftime break, and when Curry buried just his second 3-pointer in eight attempts at the 7:01 mark of the third quarter, the Warriors had their first lead, 75-73.

With Curry swishing his third 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the period, the Warriors held a 93-91 edge entering the fourth quarter.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Curry returns as Warriors take 3-1 lead over Trail Blazers

Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 40 points in overtime as the Golden State Warriors rallied for a 132-125 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at the Moda Center.

The Warriors grabbed a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series.

Curry, coming back after missing the previous four games with a sprained right knee, came off the bench to score 27 of his points in the fourth quarter and extra session. Curry also had nine rebounds and eight assists.

The Warriors trailed 16-2 before the reigning league MVP came off the bench midway through the first quarter.

Klay Thompson scored 23 points and Draymond Green collected 21 points, nine rebounds, seven blocked shots and five assists for the Warriors.

Damian Lillard scored 36 points and handed out 10 assists, CJ McCollum added 24 points, and Al-Farouq Aminu chipped in 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers, who will attempt to extend the series by winning Game 5 is Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.

Curry scored the Warriors' first 12 points of overtime for a 123-118 lead with 1:51 to go. Harrison Barnes' fastbreak layup extended the lead to 125-118 with 1:23 to play.

Lillard made a pair at the line to cut the difference to 125-120 with 1:18 to go, but Curry buried another 3-pointer, and it was 128-120 with 1:05 remaining. The Blazers got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Lillard scored 17 first-half points despite making only three of 14 shots from the field, and McCollum added 16 to stake Portland to a 67-57 halftime lead. Curry came off the bench for 11 points for Golden State. Both teams shots poorly -- Portland 39.6 percent and Golden State 39.1 percent.

The Blazers finished at 40.6 percent, while the Warriors improved to close at 46.3 percent.

It was 71-59 when Thompson got hot, sinking four straight 3-pointers as the Warriors went on a 23-7 run to go in front 82-78. They carried an 86-85 edge into the final period.

Golden State led 92-87 with nine minutes left, but McCollum knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, Aminu buried one from the corner, and suddenly Portland was back on top 96-95. After Lillard and Thompson exchanged treys, Aminu made one of two at the line and it was tied 100-100 with 4:53 remaining.

Curry rained in a trey for a 103-100 Golden State lead, but Lillard converted a driving layup to make it 103-102. Lillard's 30-foot 3-pointer gave Portland back the lead at 105-103 with 2:40 to play.

Lillard sank a pair of free throws to increase the Blazers' advantage to 107-103 with 2:12 to go.

Curry buried another one from beyond the arc, and it was 107-106 with 2:01 to go. Lillard answered with a jumper to make it 109-106 with 1:47 remaining. Green scored on a dunk to close the gap to 109-108, but Mason Plumlee's layup pushed Portland in front 101-98 with 58.6 seconds left.

Harrison Barnes evened the count at 101-101 on a 3-point shot with 51.7 seconds to go.

Lillard missed a fadeaway jumper. The Warriors rebounded and didn't call for a timeout. Curry missed a running bank shot, and Green's tip-in failed to drop as time expired, forcing an extra session.

Portland got out to a 16-2 lead, with Lillard providing nine of the points, as the Warriors started 1-for-12 from the field.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com