Trail Blazers 107, Bucks 95
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Guard CJ McCollum scored 30 points and guard Damian Lillard added 14 points and 12 assists as the Portland Trail Blazers stayed hot with a 107-95 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night at the Moda Center.
Forward Al-Farouq Aminu chipped in 16 points for the Trail Blazers (24-26), who are 9-2 in their last 11 games.
Guard Khris Middleton scored 21 points, forward Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists and center Greg Monroe had 17 points and eight boards for Milwaukee (20-31), which lost its fourth straight and sixth in seven games.
McCollum scored 16 points to stake Portland to a 56-49 halftime lead. Antetokounmpo had 15 points and six rebounds by the break for Milwaukee.
The Bucks cut the difference to 65-64 midway through the third quarter. The Blazers went on a 12-4 run to move in front 77-68. The difference was 79-73 going into the final period.
Portland outscored Milwaukee 13-4 over the next four minutes. Guard Gerald Henderson delivered what appeared to be the knockout punch with a rebound dunk and a 3-pointer to make it 92-77 with 7:37 remaining.
The Bucks rallied with a 7-0 spurt to get to within 92-84, but the Blazers stoked it back up to 100-85 with 3:45 left, and it was over.
Portland jumped to a 19-8 lead in the first six minutes. Milwaukee used a 9-2 run to draw within 21-17. The Blazers carried a 27-19 advantage into the second quarter.
The Blazers outscored the Bucks 13-8 over the next five minutes to go ahead 40-27. With guard Jerryd Bayless leading the way -- 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting -- the Bucks closed to within 51-44 with two minutes left in the half.
NOTES: Portland coach Terry Stotts has settled on a nine-man rotation, leaving F Mo Harkless as the odd man out. "It's easier for players to play 20 to 25 minutes when you're not trying to divvy minutes up between 10 guys," Stotts said. ... Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd was coaching his fifth game after a five-week hiatus following hip surgery. ... Milwaukee was without F John Henson (back), G O.J. Mayo (hamstring) and G Greivis Vasquez (ankle). ... The Bucks were playing the second of back-to-back games after having lost 111-104 at Sacramento Monday night. ... The Bucks entered the game having lost three in a row and five of the last six games. The Trail Blazers came in having won eight of the last 10. ... Stotts and Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd were together on the Dallas Mavericks' 2011 NBA championship team -- Kidd as point guard and Stotts as lead assistant. Kidd and Stotts were both with the Mavericks from 2008-12.