Trail Blazers at Timberwolves
Damian Lillard’s killer instinct has Portland one victory away from a perfect 4-0 road trip as the Trail Blazers complete the excursion Wednesday at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Lillard drained a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give the Trail Blazers a 119-116 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, two days after hitting a fadeaway at the buzzer for a 111-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Lillard scored a season-high 36 and made a career-best eight 3-pointers against Cleveland.
Minnesota slipped a game below .500 with Monday’s loss to Boston as star Kevin Love was just 9-of-26 from the field while contributing 27 points and 14 rebounds. The visit by Portland puts arguably the top two power forwards in the Western Conference on the same floor. Love ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring at 25 points per game and leads the league in rebounding (13.6), while LaMarcus Aldridge of the Trail Blazers is averaging 23.6 points and 11 rebounds. Aldridge has scored 20 or more points 21 times this season and has 15 double-doubles.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (22-4): Lillard was an immediate hit last season while winning Rookie of the Year honors and he is bordering on superstar status in his second season. The game-winning shot was his fourth of the season, and he is averaging 20.7 points and ranks second in the NBA with 76 3-pointers. Lillard continues to show he wants the ball in pressure situations, and his game-winner against Cleveland came from the top of the key. “He had a special night and I thought it was appropriate that he finished it like that,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said afterward. “He’s got a lot of confidence and he has plenty of emotion. He may or may not show it but he’s got plenty of emotion and a lot of fire and a lot of confidence.”
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (12-13): Love has been carrying Minnesota and has scored at least 26 points in each of the last five games while averaging 30.2 during the stretch. He was just 2-of-11 from behind the arc against Boston after making 12-of-17 over the previous two games, including a standout 8-of-9 showing in a loss to San Antonio. “I shot the ball good; it just didn’t go in,” Love said after the Boston game. Love has scored 20 or more points 19 times this season and has 22 double-doubles.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland went 4-0 against Minnesota last season and has won 21 of the past 23 meetings.
2. The Trail Blazers are 12-2 on the road, matching the 1990-91 squad for the best such start in franchise history.
3. Timberwolves G Kevin Martin (knee) could miss his second straight game and F Dante Cunningham (ankle) is questionable after leaving Monday’s game against Boston.