| |
|
NBA -- Lillard's 30 guide Blazers to 115-108 win over Nuggets
By Ryan Gallardo
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 08 Apr 2019
PORTLAND -- Damian Lillard exploded for 30 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 115-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday at the Moda Center.
Before a sold-out home crowd of 19,890, Lillard sank five 3s and finished with six rebounds and five dimes in a sizzling All-Star performance.
The victory improved the Blazers' record to 51-29 and increased their lead to two games over the 49-31 Utah Jazz for the fourth seed and home court advantage in Round 1 of the Western Conference playoffs.
Portland hit 41 of 89 field goals (46.1 percent) and punished the Nuggets off the boards, 58-42.
Their bigs -- Al-Farouq Aminu and Enes Kanter ---- combined for 24 rebounds and 34 points while Seth Curry and Rodney Hood each had 11 points off the bench.
An added bonus for Portland was the return of All-Star shooting guard C.J. McCollum who was sidelined for ten games by a knee injury. He was eased into the lineup and scored nine points in 25 minutes.
"I felt like I was moving pretty well. I felt my conditioning was in pretty good shape," said McCollum, who is averaging 21.1 points per game in 69 outings this season.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, rested their top three scorers in Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap and Jamal Murray. With the season winding down, they are already assured of home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs either as a No.2 or No.3 seed. The coaching staff felt that rest was more important than getting a higher seed as the postseason begins this coming weekend.
Without their top guns, Gary Harris carried the scoring load for Denver with 18 points. Malik Beasley and Trey Lyles contributed 15 apiece, but it wasn't enough as the Nuggets, who fell to 53-27, shot only 42 of 95 from the field (44.2 percent) and missed nine of their 20 free throws. (RG)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ryan Gallardo.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
COLD SHOULDER IN SYDNEY: Spence and Tszyu Trade Snubs and Staredowns at Grand Arrivals Launch
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , , Tue, 21 Jul 2026Suarez, Lewkowicz Ask the WBO to Enforce Navarrete Rematch and Begin Negotiations Immediately
By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 21 Jul 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 20 JULY 2026: Papot Outpoints Eubank; Pacheco Stops Aleem; Suarez Smokes Avila in One Round
By Eric Armit, , Tue, 21 Jul 2026Fiery Exchange at Fanatics Fest: Garcia and Benn Nearly Brawl in New York Ahead of Sept. 12 Title Clash
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , , Tue, 21 Jul 2026John Michael Zulueta Headlines in Highland Show July 25 in Thailand, LIVE on TrillerTV
By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 21 Jul 2026Results from Dominican Republic: Alberto Puello Stops Ángel Bolaño in 3
By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 21 Jul 2026Matchroom Boxing reveals major fights in UK & Ireland schedule from August to October
, Tue, 21 Jul 2026Colombia National Congress Awarded "Kid Pambelé" with Grand Cross Knight
By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 21 Jul 2026MILO Marathon returns to Davao on August 2
By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 21 Jul 2026PHILBOXING.COM WEEKEND ROUNDUP: News, Fallout, and the Long Shadow of Sydney
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , , Tue, 21 Jul 2026Joe Hand Promotions Secures Commercial Rights for Errol Spence Jr. vs. Tim Tszyu Showdown
, Tue, 21 Jul 2026Grandy Twins Head to Tampa to Learn from Hall of Famers Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright Ahead of August 14 Homecoming Fight
, Tue, 21 Jul 2026Matchroom Extends Brentwood Town Fc Partnership as Principle Partner for Next Five Years as Barry Hearn Obe Provides Significant Investment to Non-League Football Club
, Tue, 21 Jul 2026IBA Pro announces departure of Director Al Siesta
, Mon, 20 Jul 2026Suarez sends strong signal
By Joaquin Henson, , Mon, 20 Jul 2026THE CORNER SHIFT: Can Ronnie Shields Rebuild Errol Spence Jr. After the Derrick James Fallout?
By T. Chin-Te, , Mon, 20 Jul 2026Yusniel Abrahante Shocks Undefeated Luis Coria in Dominant Performance Live on ProBox TV
, Sun, 19 Jul 2026Salamov stops Suarez as Borshchev beats Brito at historic IBA Bare Knuckle US debut
, Sun, 19 Jul 2026Pichay re-elected NCFP prexy, eyes more GMs
By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 19 Jul 2026Olympus Rising by TWC - Amateur MMA Fight on Saturday; live broadcast via Kalaro 3.0 Sports Super-app
By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 19 Jul 2026Suarez Obliterates Avila in One-Round Blitz to Capture WBO International Crown (Photos)
By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 19 Jul 2026Spence vs Tszyu, The Biggest Crossroad Fight Of 2026!
By Ralph Rimpell, , Sun, 19 Jul 2026Cebuana Lhuillier-backed Blu Girls Power Past Host Peru, Finish World Cup Campaign on a High Note
By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 19 Jul 2026Diego Pacheco and Immanuwel Aleem Tip Scales for Carson Showdown
, Sat, 18 Jul 2026Weights From ‘Flores vs. Navarro’ and 'Suarez vs Avila' at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA & Live on ProBoxTV
, Sat, 18 Jul 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
