Lillard has 27 as Blazers defeat Hornets 115-98

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Damian Lillard scored 27 points and the Portland Trail Blazers handed the Charlotte Hornets their fifth straight loss with a 115-98 victory on Tuesday night.

Allan Crabbe added 21 points off the bench for the Blazers, who have won four of their last five games.

Kemba Walker scored 22 points for the Hornets and moved into third place on the team’s career scoring list. Nicolas Batum, who spent his first seven seasons in Portland, added 18 points and eight rebounds.

Maurice Harkless dunked with 9:37 left in the game to give Portland a 94-72 lead and the Bobcats never challenged down the stretch. Portland led by as many as 24 points and had five players in double digits.

The Blazers have won nine consecutive home games against the Hornets.