Lillard’s 49 points lift Blazers over Heat, 115-104

MIAMI (AP) – Damian Lillard scored a season-high 49 points, 28 of them coming after halftime, and the Portland Trail Blazers continued their playoff push by beating the Miami Heat 115-104 on Sunday night.

Lillard tied a career high with nine 3-pointers, giving him 1,002 for his career. He shot 14 for 21 from the field, 9 for 12 from 3-point range and made all 12 of his free throws.

Jusef Nurkic added 21 points and 12 rebounds for Portland (32-37), which moved within a game of idle Denver for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. C.J. McCollum scored 18 points and Noah Vonleh added 11 for the Trail Blazers.

James Johnson scored 24 points for Miami, which lost for just the second time in its last 17 home games. The Heat (34-36) missed a chance to reach .500 for the first time this season.