PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 32 points and the Portland Trail Blazers handed the depleted Denver Nuggets their fifth straight loss with a 119-100 victory.
Damian Lillard had 25 points and five assists to help the Blazers to their fourth consecutive win and ninth in a row at home. Jeff Green led Denver with 24 points.
After the Nuggets took a 49-48 lead with 3:35 left in the second quarter, Portland seized control.
The Trail Blazers unleashed an 18-3 spurt to close the first half, sparked by four 3-pointers from Lillard and capped by a buzzer-beating layup by McCollum, giving them a 64-52 lead at halftime.
From that point on, the smallest Blazers lead was eight points.