Portland, Ore. – Damien Lillard has made some memorable comebacks and has won some clutch game winners, but for him, this win was notable.
Lillard had 50 points and 10 assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 125–124 on Tuesday night.
Lillard, who finished with six 3-pointers, gave up 1.2 seconds for Portland with a pair of free throws with some six minutes remaining from a 17-point deficit. He scored 20 of his points in the final quarter.
“I think that’s how I did it and the situation we were in down the stretch, that’s the one I’ll remember,” Lillard said.
Brandon Ingram added 30 points and Zion Williamson added 28 for the Pelicans. Lonzo Ball had 11 points and a season-high 17 assists.
Nickil Alexander-Walker had 20 points including six 3-pointers off the bench for New Orleans. His 3 midway through the final quarter extended the Pelicans’ lead to 112-96.
But Gary Trent Jr.’s 3-pointer pulled the Blazers to 117-113, with 3:30 left. Lillard added a 3 to make it a one-point game.
Eric Bledos answered for New Orleans with a 3, but Carmelo Anthony’s jumper turned it down. Williamson’s layoff scored 122–118 in one minute.
After trading Lillard and Williamson’s lay-ups, Lillard was fired and made both of his shots. With 4.2 seconds left the Blazers hung the ball with the Pelicans leading 124–123.
Bledsoe instigated Lillard, who left Portland in 1.2 seconds to fire both of his shots to 125–124. Williamson’s turnaround at the other end at the buzzer missed the hook mark.
Lillard said, “I did a dishonesty by going to my spot and that was the game.”
The Pelicans were stunned.
“I mean, we didn’t just play like we played the whole game, like we were trying to run the clock,” Pelicans coach Stan Van Gaddie said. He said, ‘We had talked about this before too: we got the ball down from the floor and got to play the game. And we did not do that. “
CJ McCullum, who was out with a fractured left leg, returned and finished with 10 points in 27 minutes for the Blazers. McCollum had a career-best 26.7 points as well as five assists when he was injured on January 16 during a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
McCullum started, but coach Terry Stotts said before the game that his minutes would be limited. The Blazers were still awaiting the return of Jusuf Nurkic, who fractured his wrist during a January game
McCallum’s first basket from the area was off Lillard’s 3-pointer of the first quarter.
Lillard, who was second in the league with a game of 29.9 points, was handed in early in the game and was treated for a timeout, but returned.
New Orleans gained a 16-point lead in the opening half before going into a 64–50 breakup. Williamson and Ingram combined for 30 of the Pelicans’ first half points.
The Blazers closed within 71–64 in the third quarter following Lillard’s layoff, but could not get close until the final minutes.
“He continues to do things that are notable,” Stotts said. “Fifty points and 10 assists, and game-winners, and all the things he does. I never get surprised, but I never consider it.”
It was the second of three meetings between the teams. Portland won the first 126–124 in New Orleans on February 4.
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