----- Anthony Tolliver scored 16 points in the fourth quarter helping the Blazers hold on to top the Charlotte Hornets 115-112 Monday night at Moda Center.
Tolliver to the rescue!
Anthony Tolliver scored all of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a two-game slide with a 115-112 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Portland had dropped eight of their last 10 games entering Monday's action.
Tolliver finished the night 7-of-8 from the field including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and pulled down 11 rebounds. It was his first double-double of the season.
Damian Lillard led Portland with 30 points and nine assists and CJ McCollum added 27 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
The Blazers cruised to a 62-46 halftime lead thanks to 20 points from McCollum in the half, but the Hornets responded with a big run in the second half. The Hornets opened the third quarter on a 12-0 run, scored 43 points, and went 9-of-13 shooting from three-point range cutting the deficit to 91-89 entering the fourth.
After a Willy Hernangomez dunk cut the Blazers' lead to 95-94, Portland responded with a 7-0 run on buckets from Tolliver and Carmelo Anthony.
Lillard made a driving layup with 17.3 seconds remaining giving Portland a 114-109 advantage. After a Devonte' Graham three-pointer cut the deficit to 114-112, Lillard made a free throw with 8.5 seconds on the clock pushing the lead to 115-112. Kent Bazemore blocked Graham's three-point attempt at the buzzer securing the win.
Graham led Charlotte (15-28) with 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting from distance and Terry Rozier added 25 points and seven rebounds.
Up Next- The Trail Blazers start a three-game road trip Wednesday night in Houston against the Rockets at Toyota Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 PM.
Chad's Take- Can't nitpick wins with this group right now. I'll take it.