NBA: Lillard sizzles late as Blazers blast Jazz

All-Star point guard Damian Lillard scored 14 points in the fourth quarter Friday (Saturday, PHL time) as the Portland Trail Blazers busted open a tight game to defeat the Utah Jazz 111-99 at EnergySolutions Arena.

Guard Wesley Matthews led Portland with 21 points, All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Lillard finished with 16 points and six assists.
 
Portland, which clinched its first playoff spot since 2011, improved to 52-28 and moved within a half-game of Houston (52-27) for the fifth spot in the Western Conference playoff seedings.

Power forward Derrick Favors topped the Jazz with 21 points, while center Enes Kanter (15 points, 14 rebounds) and point guard Trey Burke (14 points, 11 assists) added double-doubles in the loss.

Utah fell to 24-59 with its third consecutive loss and 19th defeat in 22 games. The Jazz are now tied with Boston for the fourth-worst record in the NBA.

The Jazz got off to a good start, taking a 31-23 lead after the first quarter. The most significant aspect of the beginning of the game for Utah was the starting lineup, which included young players Burke, Alec Burks, Gordon Hayward, Favors and Kanter for the first time this season. Those five are considered to be foundation players for the Jazz's future and had not opened a game together since the preseason, having only played with each other for 74 minutes all season before Friday (Saturday, PHL time).

Portland outscored Utah 30-20 in the second quarter, and the game was tight until the final 10 minutes.

Forward Richard Jefferson, who didn't start for the first time this season, gave the Jazz a 79-77 lead by hitting an 18-foot jumper with 11:07 remaining.

It was all Portland after that.

Backup forward Dorell Wright sparked a 9-2 run with a 3-pointer to put the Blazers ahead for good at 10:15. Lillard then sandwiched long bombs around center Rudy Gobert's layup to give Portland an 86-81 lead.

Lillard then scored eight of the Blazers' next 12 points as the visitors went on a 12-4 spurt to take control of the contest.

The Jazz were punished while failing to score for three minutes and 15 seconds in the fourth quarter during a stretch when the team had two turnovers and two missed shots.

Forward Nicolas Batum had a strong all-around game for Portland, scoring 15 points with seven assists and seven rebounds.

That helped the Blazers beat the Jazz for the fourth time this season, marking the first time Portland has ever swept Utah.

The Jazz travel to Denver for a back-to-back against the Nuggets on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time), while Portland returns home for an important showdown with Golden State on Sunday (Mondy, PHL time).

Hayward finished with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds, while Burks added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists in a career-high 42 minutes. - Reuters