New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trail Blazers Box Score on Dec 02, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 3, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. -- DeMarcus Cousins poured in 38 points as the New Orleans Pelicans topped the Portland Trail Blazers 123-116 on Saturday night at Moda Center.

E'Twaun Moore added 19 points and and Jrue Holiday 17 for the Pelicans (12-11), who ended a three-game losing streak.

Damian Lillard scored 29 points and CJ McCollum and Meyers Leonard added 17 apiece for the Trail Blazers (13-10), who lost their second straight.

New Orleans was going without All-Star forward Anthony Davis, who missed the game with a pelvis injury.

Cousins scored 16 points to help New Orleans to a 60-57 lead at halftime. Lillard had 15 at the break for the Trail Blazers.

The Pelicans started the third quarter on an 23-8 run to go ahead 83-65. It was 96-77 late in the quarter and 98-82 heading into the fourth quarter.

Portland closed within 108-96 with 6:07 left. The Blazers cut it to 113-102, but Cousins knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 116-102 with 3:12 to go. Lillard sank three straight free throws to cut it to 116-105 with 2:51 to play.

Lillard scored on a drive to make it 116-107 with 2:21 remaining. Holiday answered with a layup to push the Pelicans ahead 118-107 with 1:44 left. Lillard bombed in a long-range 3 to close the Blazers within 121-116 with 15 seconds left, but Moore iced the verdict with two foul shots with 7.4 ticks left.

Portland went on a 15-2 tear to extend a 16-15 lead to 31-17 late in the first quarter. Lillard scored 13 points in the quarter as the Blazers went into the second period with a 33-26 advantage.

Rajon Rondo's 3-point shot gave the Pelicans a three-point edge at halftime.

NOTES: The Pelicans weren't sure of the extent of the injury to PF Anthony Davis (pelvis). "He's going to see doctors when we get back (to New Orleans)," coach Alvin Gentry said. "We'll know more after that." Davis played only five minutes before suffering an injury in the teams' first meeting, a 103-93 Portland win on Oct. 24. ... Portland had won 13 of the previous 14 meetings with New Orleans at Moda Center. ... Pelicans F Darius Miller, who leads the NBA in 3-point percentage at 48.4, started the season 2 of 15 from the 3-point line. Since then, he has gone 43 of 80 (53.8) from beyond the arc. ... The Pelicans started 6-foot-4 E'Twaun Moore, 6-4 Jrue Holiday and 6-1 Rajon Rondo. The last time Gentry started three players 6-4 or shorter? "In high school, I did," he said.