Blazers Handle Heat for 10th Straight Win
WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic led the way as the Portland Trail Blazers disposed of the Miami Heat 115-99 Monday night at Moda Center.
Lillard collected 32 points and 10 assists while Nurkic contributed 27 points and 16 rebounds as the Trail Blazers ran their winning streak to 10 games. Portland has won 16 of its last 17 games at home.
Goran Dragic scored 23 points and Justise Winslow had 15 points and 13 boards for the Heat, who had won in four of their previous five and six of their previous eight outings.
Miami was without starting center Hassan Whiteside (hip) and sixth man Dwyane Wade (hamstring).
Five Blazers scored in double figures, including CJ McCollum with 17 points, Evan Turner with 13 and Zach Collins with 10.
Nurkic scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Blazers took a 59-47 lead into the half. Dragic had 17 points for the Heat.
Portland extended the margin to 86-67 late in the third quarter. The Blazers took an 88-72 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Heat drew to within 93-87 after seven straight points by Winslow early in the final period. Tyler Johnson’s 3 made it 93-90 with 6:24 remaining.
The Blazers followed with five straight points for a 98-90 lead with 5:26 to go. Lillard drilled another 3-pointer, and Portland was on top 104-95 with 3:31 left. Turner followed with another three for a 107-95 advantage with 2:54 to play. The Heat got no closer the rest of the way.
Lillard’s four-point play gave Portland a 16-11 lead midway through the first quarter. Miami tied it at 23-23, but the Blazers ended the quarter on an 11-2 binge for a 34-25 advantage.
It was 37-25 before the Heat rallied to draw within 39-33. Collins sank back-to-back 3-point shots to hike the edge to 45-33. The Blazers carried a 12-point lead into intermission.
In another game, Khris Middleton’s 24 points led seven players in double figures Monday night as the Milwaukee Bucks handed the Memphis Grizzlies their 18th straight loss, a 121-103 decision at FedEx Forum in Memphis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 20 points, six rebounds and four assists despite playing just 27 minutes because of foul trouble. Brandon Jennings came off the bench to score 16 points, Eric Bledsoe chipped in 14 and Tony Snell managed 12 points. John Henson netted 11 and rookie Sterling Brown hit for 10 points.
Marc Gasol tallied 17 points to lead six Memphis players in extra digits. Jarell Martin, reserve Ben McLemore and Dillon Brooks added 16 each. JaMychal Green scored 11 points and backup Deyonta Davis tallied 10.
The result boosted Milwaukee to 36-31, tying it with Miami for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Thanks to their losing streak, the Grizzlies now own the NBA’s worst record at 18-49.
Memphis established an eight-point lead just 4:20 into the game when Martin sank a jumper, but the Bucks turned it around. They outscored the Grizzlies 23-9 for the quarter’s remainder and took a 32-24 advantage to the second quarter when Sterling Brown converted a driving layup with 4.5 seconds on the clock.
Memphis cut the deficit to four early in the second, but Milwaukee gradually expanded the margin after that, making it 64-50 at halftime when Henson was credited with a basket on goaltending as time expired.
Brooks’ layup with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter sliced the margin to 80-71, but the Bucks used a 10-2 spurt to end the period, taking a 90-73 advantage to the fourth quarter as Jennings sank a jumper with 4.6 seconds left.
The Grizzlies made a big push to start the fourth quarter, crawling within 97-91 when Davis tipped home his own miss with 6:30 remaining. But Bledsoe converted consecutive driving layups to restore a double-figure lead 39 seconds later and Milwaukee never had to fret.
The Bucks sank 58 percent of their field goal attempts and dominated the boards 47-31.
Lillard collected 32 points and 10 assists while Nurkic contributed 27 points and 16 rebounds as the Trail Blazers ran their winning streak to 10 games. Portland has won 16 of its last 17 games at home.
Goran Dragic scored 23 points and Justise Winslow had 15 points and 13 boards for the Heat, who had won in four of their previous five and six of their previous eight outings.
Miami was without starting center Hassan Whiteside (hip) and sixth man Dwyane Wade (hamstring).
Five Blazers scored in double figures, including CJ McCollum with 17 points, Evan Turner with 13 and Zach Collins with 10.
Nurkic scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Blazers took a 59-47 lead into the half. Dragic had 17 points for the Heat.
Portland extended the margin to 86-67 late in the third quarter. The Blazers took an 88-72 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Heat drew to within 93-87 after seven straight points by Winslow early in the final period. Tyler Johnson’s 3 made it 93-90 with 6:24 remaining.
The Blazers followed with five straight points for a 98-90 lead with 5:26 to go. Lillard drilled another 3-pointer, and Portland was on top 104-95 with 3:31 left. Turner followed with another three for a 107-95 advantage with 2:54 to play. The Heat got no closer the rest of the way.
Lillard’s four-point play gave Portland a 16-11 lead midway through the first quarter. Miami tied it at 23-23, but the Blazers ended the quarter on an 11-2 binge for a 34-25 advantage.
It was 37-25 before the Heat rallied to draw within 39-33. Collins sank back-to-back 3-point shots to hike the edge to 45-33. The Blazers carried a 12-point lead into intermission.
In another game, Khris Middleton’s 24 points led seven players in double figures Monday night as the Milwaukee Bucks handed the Memphis Grizzlies their 18th straight loss, a 121-103 decision at FedEx Forum in Memphis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 20 points, six rebounds and four assists despite playing just 27 minutes because of foul trouble. Brandon Jennings came off the bench to score 16 points, Eric Bledsoe chipped in 14 and Tony Snell managed 12 points. John Henson netted 11 and rookie Sterling Brown hit for 10 points.
Marc Gasol tallied 17 points to lead six Memphis players in extra digits. Jarell Martin, reserve Ben McLemore and Dillon Brooks added 16 each. JaMychal Green scored 11 points and backup Deyonta Davis tallied 10.
The result boosted Milwaukee to 36-31, tying it with Miami for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Thanks to their losing streak, the Grizzlies now own the NBA’s worst record at 18-49.
Memphis established an eight-point lead just 4:20 into the game when Martin sank a jumper, but the Bucks turned it around. They outscored the Grizzlies 23-9 for the quarter’s remainder and took a 32-24 advantage to the second quarter when Sterling Brown converted a driving layup with 4.5 seconds on the clock.
Memphis cut the deficit to four early in the second, but Milwaukee gradually expanded the margin after that, making it 64-50 at halftime when Henson was credited with a basket on goaltending as time expired.
Brooks’ layup with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter sliced the margin to 80-71, but the Bucks used a 10-2 spurt to end the period, taking a 90-73 advantage to the fourth quarter as Jennings sank a jumper with 4.6 seconds left.
The Grizzlies made a big push to start the fourth quarter, crawling within 97-91 when Davis tipped home his own miss with 6:30 remaining. But Bledsoe converted consecutive driving layups to restore a double-figure lead 39 seconds later and Milwaukee never had to fret.
The Bucks sank 58 percent of their field goal attempts and dominated the boards 47-31.