PORTLAND, Oregon, Nov. 18 (BUS): Damian Lillard struggled at the start but prepared to finish the game with 22 points and 10 assists, as the Portland Trail Blazers secured a 112-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
Yusuf Nurkic added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who trailed by 20 points in the first half.
Zach Lavigne scored 30 points and DeMar DeRozan added 22 points for the Bulls, who won four of five.
Portland closed to 85-81 last quarter and teams battled for the lead along the stretch, the Associated Press reports.
Lillard’s 3-pointer put Portland ahead 102-98 and Nurkic submerged to extend it.
Lonzo Ball’s throw three minutes before the end of the match reduced the difference to 104-102. Lillard answered with a basket, but Lavigne’s 3-pointers made it a one-point game and put Chicago’s layup ahead 107-106.
Lillard made free throws and Portland regained the lead. After Lavigne missed a three-pointer on the other end, Larry Nance Jr., who was fouled under the Chicago basket, threw two free throws 12 seconds left to put Portland ahead 110-107.
The Moda Center crowd chanted “Larry! Larry!” and the bulls couldn’t catch up.
Lillard (belly) and Norman Powell (left ankle) were called into question to enter Portland’s bout, but they got their start. Powell finished with 18 points.
DeRozan has been on a tear this season, averaging 26.9 points per game to finish fourth in the NBA. He averaged 35.5 points in Chicago’s last two games, against the Clippers and Lakers.
His triple pointer put the Bulls into a 55-41 lead before LaVine scored in a treasure draw, and Chicago continued to lead 63-48 in the first half.
The 3-pointer Nance Jr. pulled off the single-digit Blazers at 76-67 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Powell hit a three-pointer from the corner and Lillard added a driving attempt before Powell made another 3 to get closer to 79-75.
Lillard was cold at first, going 1 for 6 off the field in the first half. The six-time All-Star star averaged just 20.3 points this season, having finished last year with an average of 28.8 points.
Portland were to score a home victory over the Raptors after a 1-3 road trip.
VUCEVIC STILL OUT
Bulls coach Billy Donovan said Nikola Vucevich, who missed his fourth game after testing positive for Covid-19, has not yet entered the cardiovascular testing phase of the league’s protocol. Vucevic entered protocol on November 11. Vucevic had five doubles in his last six matches before his test result came back positive. Overall, he has averaged 13.6 points and 10.9 rebounds this season.
Hint
The Bulls: Wednesday’s game was the fourth of a five-game wild ride. … Both Lavigne and DeRozan have scored 20 or more points 12 times this season.
Trail Blazers: Portland split the series with the Bulls 1-1 last year, with both teams claiming road victories. …Lillard became the franchise leader who made free throws in the first half past Clyde Drexler.
the following
The Bulls wrap up their wild ride in Denver on Friday night.
The Trail Blazers host Philadelphia on Saturday evening.