Lillard scores 50 in 3 quarters, Blazers beat Kings 118-100

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Damian Lillard scored 22 of his season-high 50 points in the third quarter, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Sacramento Kings 118-100 on Friday night.

Lillard scored at will, making 16 of 26 shots – including eight 3-pointers – and all 10 of his free-throw attempts. He reached the half-century mark by the end of the third period and sat the entire fourth.

Lillard, who also had six assists, joined teammate CJ McCollum and Houston’s James Harden as the only players to score 50 points through three quarters this season.

Maurice Harkless added 15 points, McCollum scored 13 and Ed Davis had five points and 14 rebounds for Portland, which made 15 3-pointers. The Blazers were coming off an overtime win in Charlotte on Thursday that snapped a three-game losing streak.

Lillard, Portland’s lone All-Star this season, scored 15 points during a 17-0 run that closed out the third quarter and put the Blazers up 92-74. He made two 3s during the run and silenced the crowd when he drove the left side of the lane and flipped the ball in with his right hand.

Sacramento made five consecutive 3s in the fourth quarter, four by Buddy Hield, and pulled within 107-94 with 4:45 left. Shabazz Napier made a 3-pointer for Portland to stop the Kings’ surge.

Willie Cauley-Stein had 19 points and six rebounds, and Zach Randolph added 17 points and nine boards for Sacramento.

Lillard had 14 points and made three of Portland’s six 3-pointers in the first quarter. Evan Turner hit an off-balance 11-footer to end the period and put the Blazers up 33-31.

After Randolph’s layup over Nurkic pulled Sacramento within 49-47 in the second, Lillard scored nine consecutive points and then added a 17-foot step-back jumper with 1.7 seconds left to put Portland up 62-52 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Blazers: Lillard’s eight 3-pointers are one shy of his own franchise record, which he matched earlier this season against Houston on Dec. 9. … Portland improved to 2-1 against the Kings this season. The teams split back-to-back games in November.

Kings: Iman Shumpert, who was part of the trade that sent George Hill to Cleveland, arrived for the game but did not suit up. … Skal Labissiere (left rotator cuff strain) expects to come back after the All-Star break.

UP NEXT

Blazers: Host Utah on Sunday.

Kings: Visit Minnesota on Sunday.

___

More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball