Blazers top the Knicks 111-87 for 8th straight win
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Damian Lillard scored 37 points and made eight 3-pointers, and the Portland Trail Blazers won their eighth straight game with a 111-87 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.
CJ McCollum added 19 points for the Blazers, on their longest winning streak since winning nine in a row in 2014. They have moved into third place in the Western Conference standings.
The Blazers hit a season-high 20 3-pointers in 33 attempts (60 percent). Lillard’s 3s were one shy of his career high.
Enes Kanter had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who lost their fifth straight. It was Kanter’s 32nd double-double this season, a career high. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 19 points.
New York has won just one of its last 14 games. The Knicks trailed by as many as 22 points.
The game in Portland was the third of a four-game road trip for the Knicks and comes off a 102-99 loss to the Kings on Sunday. Sacramento’s Skal Labissiere had a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to win it.
The Knicks lost top scorer Kristaps Porzingis last month to a season-ending ACL tear injury that required surgery, and they’ve since gone 1-8.
Against the Blazers, the Knicks were without Courtney Lee because of personal reasons. Rookie Frank Ntilikina got his first NBA start in his place. Lance Thomas also got the start for New York, with Michael Beasley coming off the bench.
Portland remained without forward Maurice Harkless for the third straight game because of a knee injury. Evan Turner started in his place.
Lillard had 16 points in the first quarter alone and the Blazers led 34-28 after the period. Pat Connaughton hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Portland.
Lillard went to the bench to start the second quarter and was briefly looked at by trainers. Portland led by as many as 15 points in the quarter but the Knicks closed the gap to 57-52 at halftime.
Lillard went to the line in the third quarter and the fans at the Moda Center chanted “MVP! MVP!”
The Blazers were coming off a 108-103 victory the night before against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Lillard scored 19 of his 39 points in the final quarter in the come-from-behind victory.
TIP INS:
Knicks: Hardaway and Kanter both had 14 points at the half. … The Knicks have lost three straight overall to the Blazers. … Beasley had 16 points off the bench.
Trail Blazers: There were reports that Portland had signed center Georgios Papagiannis to a 10-day contract, but no official word from the team. … Lillard passed Clifford Robinson for fourth on Portland’s career points list.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Continue their road trip at Milwaukee.
Trail Blazers: Host Golden State on Friday.
