Trail Blazers 117, Pelicans 112
NEW ORLEANS -- C.J. McCollum scored 30 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with a minute left, and backcourt mate Damian Lillard scored a game-high 33 points to lift the Portland Trail Blazers to a 117-112 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Smoothie King Center.
The Blazers led by as many as 20 points in the first half and did not have to worry about Pelicans star forward Anthony Davis, who injured his left knee late in the first half and left the game with 19 points.
But the Pelicans (25-43) chipped away, erasing a 93-81 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter with a 24-10 run that put them ahead 105-103 with 3:15 left.
But that's when McCollum and Lillard took over, combining to score 11 of Portland's final 14 points over the last 2:52. The Blazers (36-34) snapped a six-game road losing streak.
New Orleans was paced by forward Ryan Anderson and guard Jrue Holiday, who each scored 30 points.
Davis led all scorers in the first half with 19, but he did not return from the locker room with Portland leading 67-53.
Davis apparently sustained the injury to his left knee while setting a screen for Holiday. Both McCollum and Holiday ran into the side of Davis' knee, but Davis did not show any immediate reaction to the bump.
Davis came into the game with eight straight double-doubles and seven straight games in which he scored at least 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Blazers used a 27-11 edge on the boards and 52.3 percent shooting in the first half to take a 67-53 lead. Lillard led the way over the first 24 minutes with 17 points, McCollum had 16 and Gerald Henderson added 14, all in the second quarter.
Portland was so dominant on the glass that New Orleans did not get its first offensive rebound until 1:49 was left in the half, a rebound by Davis that led to a basket.
The Blazers led 58-38, but New Orleans chipped away by outscoring Portland 15-9 in the final four minutes of the half.
Ryan Anderson kept the Pelicans close in the first quarter, hitting his first five shots, but he missed his next five in the second quarter.
NOTES: The Pelicans have employed nearly 30 starting lineups this season because of a rash of injuries, but they used the same starting five for the second straight game against Portland. "We are going to stay consistent in what we're doing," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said, laughing. ... Newly acquired Pelicans PG Tim Frazier, a second-year player out of Penn State, had 14 points and nine assists in his Pelicans' debut, a 123-108 road win against Sacramento on Wednesday. "We weren't able to run a bunch of stuff, but I thought he just had a pretty good feel for the game," Gentry said. ... Portland coach Terry Stotts said the Blazers 1-3 record in the previous four games places more value on every game down the stretch. "From here on out, every game is important," Stotts said. "We won't look ahead. The next game is the most important one."