Blazers ride Nurkic to OT win over 76ers
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Jusuf Nurkic had the game of his career, and the Portland Trail Blazers needed all of it to get past the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night at Moda Center.
The third-year pro achieved career highs in points (28), rebounds (20), assists (eight) and blocked shots (six) in the Trail Blazers' 114-108 overtime victory.
Damian Lillard added 24 points and CJ McCollum 23 as Portland (28-35) won its fourth straight game -- its longest streak of the season.
Rookie Dario Saric scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Robert Covington had 24 points and a career-high 13 boards for the 76ers, who lost for the sixth time in seven outings.
Nurkic scored three straight baskets, the last giving Portland a 104-102 lead with 2:31 left in the extra session. Gerald Henderson buried a jumper to tie it at 104-104 with 2:10 to play.
Lillard sank two foul shots, then converted a driving layup to make it 108-104 with 1:18 to go.
Henderson cut it to 108-106 with a pair at the line with 1:10 to play. Lillard answered with two foul shots, making it 110-106 with 40 seconds left. Allen Crabbe's driving layup gave Portland a 112-106 lead with 20.9 seconds on the clock.
Henderson returned to the line and made 2 of 3, cutting the Blazers' edge to 112-108 with 19.9 ticks left.
McCollum clinched it with two free throws for a 114-108 advantage with 15.3 seconds to go.
Nurkic accumulated 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots as Portland took a 57-52 lead at the half. Saric had 14 points and five boards at the break for the 76ers (23-41).
Saric hit a 3-pointer to put Philadelphia on top 62-61 early in the third quarter, then knocked down another one from beyond the arc to give the 76ers a 78-76 advantage heading into the final period.
Saric converted a pair of free throws to push Philadelphia ahead 95-94 with 55.9 seconds left. Nurkic made 1 of 2 at the line to make it 95-95 with 33.9 seconds on the clock.
Covington then made a huge blunder, intentionally fouling McCollum with 19.6 seconds remaining, thinking the 76ers were trailing. McCollum made both free throws for a 97-95 lead.
After a timeout, Al-Farouq Aminu stole the ball but threw the ball out of bounds, giving Philadelphia another chance with 11.8 ticks left.
After another timeout, Covington scored on a follow shot at the buzzer, forcing overtime.
NOTES: Portland C Jusuf Nurkic had four blocked shots in the first four minutes and tied his career record for a game with five in the first quarter. ... Portland coach Terry Stotts was asked the speed with which Blazers fans have taken to Nurkic. "Nurkic Fever? Why not?" he said with a laugh. ... Philadelphia C Jahlil Okafor (knee) started after missing the previous two games. He collected 16 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. ... Portland G Allen Crabbe entered the game shooting .444 from 3-point range, up significantly from his .394 percentage of a year ago. He made 2 of 5 from beyond the arc Thursday. . ... G Jerryd Bayless (wrist) and F Ben Simmons (foot) are with the Sixers on their current four-game road trip, and C Joel Embiid (knee) will join the team in Los Angeles on Friday, though none will play in games. "Bringing them with us allows them to stay connected," coach Brett Brown said.