----- Nikola Jokic finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists and Michael Porter Jr. scored 23 as the Denver Nuggets won their seventh-straight 122-113 Tuesday night at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
Lillard's 30 first half points not enough as the Trail Blazers fall in Denver.
Damian Lillard scored 30 of his game-high 44 points in the first half, but it wasn't enough to overcome Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets Tuesday night at Ball Arena in Denver.
Lillard connected on 12 of his 20 shots including 6-of-12 from three-point range and 14-of-14 from the free throw line to go along with eight assists.
Jokic finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists and Michael Porter Jr. scored 23 to lead Denver in their 122-113 victory, Denver's seventh-straight win.
Jerami Grant scored 18 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Portland (21-23) struggled on defense most of the night. They couldn't get stops consistently, had issues containing Jokic, and struggled to keep the Nuggets off the foul line.
Portland kept the game close deep into the third quarter. Lillard connected on a shot cutting the deficit to 87-82 with 5:47 remaining in the third. Denver closed the quarter on a 14-7 run extending their lead to 101-89. The Blazers never threatened the rest of the way.
Up Next- The Trail Blazers return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers Thursday night at Moda Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM.
Chad's Take- Nuggets showed tonight why they are the odds-on-favorite in Vegas to win the West.