When a Trail Blazers team has a fourth quarter in which they hold their opponents to 7-26 shooting to win the game, you don’t think that their next game out that the Trail Blazers would do something similar, would you?
Well the Portland Trail Blazers did just that. They held the New Orleans Pelicans to 4-24 shooting in the fourth quarter a night after holding the Brooklyn Nets to 7-26 fourth quarter shooting in their previous game. The Blazers tough fourth quarter defense held strong and they defeated the Pelicans 102-93 after trailing by as many as 16.
Damian Lillard scored 24 points, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:14 left. LaMarcus Aldridge, back after missing one game with an illness, had 22 points and 9 rebounds to help the Blazers win their fifth straight. Wesley Matthews had 16 points with 5 rebounds while backup big man Chris Kaman contributed with 15 and 10 rebounds.
LaMarcus Aldridge returned after sitting out a game because of an upper respiratory illness and starting forward Nicolas Batum missed his fourth straight game because of a bruised right knee.
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 11 rebounds for the Pelicans along with a nice highlight play dunk that will be featured in the Def Pen Top 10 NBA Plays tomorrow. Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 7 rebounds, Tyreke Evans had 13 points with 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Eric Gordon had 11 points and Ryan Anderson contributed 12 off the bench. Pelicans were without center Omer Asik, who is nursing a sore back. The 7-footer was averaging 9 points and 10 rebounds. Alexis Ajinca started in his place who had 6 points and 7 rebounds.
Wesley Matthews hit a 3 to tie it at 91, and Robin Lopez’s layup gave Portland its first lead of the second half with 2:23 left. Lillard’s 3-pointer put the Blazers in front 96-93, and they made free throws the rest of the way for the final margin.
Batum had said he hoped to return in time for this game.
New Orleans Pelicans are 5-4. Portland Trail Blazers are 8-3.
