PORTLAND — Damian Lillard scored 27 points, CJ McCollum added 24 and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped the New Orleans Pelicans’ four-game winning streak with a 119-104 victory on Friday night.
Lillard added 11 assists for the Blazers, who were coming off a 1-4 road trip. It was the 2,000th win in franchise history.
Anthony Davis, who went into the game ranked second in the league with an average of 31.3 points a game, led the Pelicans with 31 points and 13 rebounds.
The Blazers led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, but the Pelicans closed to 105-101 on Terrance Jones’ dunk and Jrue Holiday’s jumper. Portland responded with an 8-0 run, capped by Maurice Harkless’ reverse layup that made it 113-101, and New Orleans couldn’t catch up.
The Pelicans have rebounded after an eight-game losing streak to start the season and were coming off a 117-96 victory at home over the Timberwolves. But the win was costly because New Orleans lost Dante Cunningham in the first half because of a non-displaced right proximal fibula fracture. He will miss four to six weeks.
Cunningham, who started in 10 games this season, was averaging 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds before the injury.
The four-game winning streak coincided with the return of Holiday, who missed the start of the season to care for his wife, Lauren Holiday, following the birth of their child and surgery to remove a tumor on the right side of his wife’s brain. Lauren Holiday was a standout on the U.S. women’s national soccer team for eight years until her retirement last year.
Holiday finished with 16 points.
Portland, coming off a 137-125 loss in Cleveland, led by as many as eight points in the first quarter but New Orleans pulled in front by the second, taking a 38-32 lead on Holiday’s 3-pointer. Portland reclaimed a 47-43 lead on consecutive baskets from Jake Layman and McCollum.
McCollum led all scorers in the first half with 19 points and the Blazers led 66-57.
The Blazers went on an 8-0 run to open the third quarter, capped by McCollum’s 3-pointer that made it 74-57. Meyers Leonard’s dunk and Lillard’s long 3-pointer extended Portland’s lead to 94-78.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: New Orleans players and coaches had Thanksgiving dinner at the family home of Jones, who grew up in Portland. “His family was terrific to us,” coach Alvin Gentry said. … The Pelicans have four players on the injured/inactive list: Tyreke Evans (right knee), Quincy Pondexter (left knee), Cunningham (right leg) and Cheick Diallo (D-League assignment).
Trail Blazers: It was coach Terry Stotts’ birthday. … There was no update on the status update for Al-Farouq Aminu, who has a strained left calf. … Mason Plumlee finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. … Portland has won 11 straight over the Pelicans at the Moda Center.
UP NEXT:
Pelicans: New Orleans visits the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Trail Blazers: Portland hosts the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
