76ers at Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard is becoming an end-of-game legend in a very short time. Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers will try to avoid finding themselves in a hole late in the game when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. Lillard scored 18 of his 40 points in the final 3:44 of regulation and overtime in a 115-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, including a tying 3-pointer with three seconds left in regulation.
Lillard began the four-game road trip with a similar showing in a triple-overtime win in San Antonio and is averaging 29.4 points in the last five games. “I was pointing to the watch, that was Lillard Time,” he told reporters of a gesture he made touching his wrist after knocking down the tying shot. “That was the first time anybody’s seen that. I was just feeling myself a little bit at the moment.” The 76ers are enjoying their first winning streak of the season after victories at Orlando and Miami.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (4-23): Philadelphia was down 23 points early in the second half at Miami on Tuesday before coming all the way back for a 91-87 win with only eight healthy players. “You credit eight guys that just found something extra to steal a fantastic win on the road,” 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters. “I think it confirms what I’ve been saying for a while … (Our players) put in fantastic days at practice and they stay together.” Each of Philadelphia’s four wins have come this month on the road and the team is 2-0 on its current seven-game excursion.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (23-7): Portland appeared to be slogging toward a loss at the end of a stretch of four road games in five days before Lillard stepped up. “We always feel like anything is possible,” Lillard told reporters. “I think guys always stay confident in the moment. We understood that if we got some stops in a row and our offense started to get a little bit better for us that it was possible.” The Blazers ended up 3-1 on the road trip and have won six of seven heading into a stretch of seven straight road games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The 76ers picked up a 101-99 victory at Portland last season.
2. Philadelphia G Tony Wroten (right knee sprain) and G Hollis Thompson (illness) are both day-to-day.
3. Portland G Wesley Matthews is 8-of-13 from 3-point range over the last two games after hitting 6-of-21 in the previous three games.