PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard scored 25 points and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a two-game skid with a 123-103 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
Deni Avdija added 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Blazers in the first of back-to-back home games against Oklahoma City.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points on 8-of-22 shooting for the Thunder, who had won four straight. Gilgeous-Alexander also grabbed eight rebounds but missed all four of his 3-point attempts and did not play in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder are without several key players because of injuries, including Jalen Williams (ankle), Chet Holmgren (knee) and Cason Wallace (shoulder). Jaylin Williams missed his fourth game with back spasms.
Oklahoma City, coming off a 114-75 victory over Washington on Saturday, acquired guard/forward Nique Clifford from Sacramento on Sunday. Clifford came off the bench and made his Thunder debut to start the second quarter. He scored on a reverse layup early in the fourth.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 early points and the Thunder had a 27-26 edge in the first quarter. The back-and-forth first half ended even at 59 with neither team able to build a double-digit lead.
Jared McCain made a 3-pointer that put the Thunder in front 69-67, but Lillard answered with his own 3. Lillard hit back-to-back 3s to stretch Portland's lead to 79-71.
Lillard made a 3 from the logo that gave Portland a 97-80 lead going into the fourth. Jrue Holiday's 3-pointer put the Blazers up 106-89.
Sidy Cissoko started for the Blazers in place of Scoot Henderson, who scored 11 points off the bench on 3-for-12 shooting. Cissoko finished with 17 points.
Holiday also had 11 points off the bench, and Donovan Clingan pulled down 13 rebounds.
McCain finished with 21 points for the Thunder.
The teams play again Wednesday in Portland.
___
