----- CJ McCollum scored a team-high 29 points and Damian Lillard finished with 24 points and eight assists as the Portland Trail Blazers topped the Toronto Raptors 118-113 Monday night at Moda Center.
Chauncy Billups asked for more effort from his players on Sunday night. On Monday night, he got it.
CJ McCollum scored a team-high 29 points and Damian Lillard finished with 24 points and eight assists as the Portland Trail Blazers bounced back from their blowout loss Sunday night in Denver with a 118-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors Monday night at Moda Center.
With the Raptors playing a smaller lineup with Pascal Siakam at center, it game Coach Billups an opportunity to give more time to his role players while mixing up his lineups. Larry Nance Jr. played 23 minutes of high-energy basketball on both ends. He made an impact with his length and hustle on defense and used his athleticism around the rim on offense. He finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and two assists on 7-of-7 shooting.
Portland (7-8) connected on 56.1% of their field goals including 16-of-36 from three-point range. Lillard, McCollum, and Robert Covington were a combined 12-of-22 from beyond-the-arc.
OG Anunoby led Toronto (7-8) with 29 points and Siakam finished with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
The Raptors led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, but Portland took a 61-60 lead into halftime after dominating the second quarter 37-27.
The Blazers took control of the game with a 20-7 run to open the fourth quarter. The Raptors cut the deficit to 112-111 on a three-pointer from Fred VanVleet, but Portland responded with a 6-2 run to close the game.
Up Next- The Trail Blazers will host the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night at Moda Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM.
Chad's Take- More Nance & Little, Less Nurkic & Covington.