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Blazers snap skid with win over Pelicans

Mar 15, 2014 - 5:46 AM New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Damian Lillard poured in 27 points and had five assists as the Portland Trail Blazers took a 111-103 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

Nicolas Batum tallied 22 points and a career-high 18 rebounds to go along with five assists in the win. Wesley Matthews added 20 points for the Trail Blazers, who snapped a four-game skid. Robin Lopez and Dorell Wright contributed 19 and 15 points, respectively.

Anthony Davis scored a career-high 36 points with nine rebounds for the Pelicans, who have lost two in a row. Brian Roberts netted 19 and dished five helpers, while Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans scored 16 apiece.

"I don't care about that," Davis said of his career high. "I only care about winning. We lost so all that is just for you guys."

Gordon added six rebounds and six assists, while Evans chipped in eight rebounds and eight assists.

New Orleans led 81-80 to start the fourth and built its lead to six, 92-86, with 8 1/2 left. Matthews answered with a 3-pointer, however, Evans put the Pelicans back up five with a layup.

Lillard then converted a layup with just under six to play before he knotted the game and took over.

Lillard hit a trey to knot the game at 94 apiece with just under five minutes left to play and followed it up with a layup to put Portland ahead 96-94 with 4:17 left on the clock.

The Pelicans came within two points a few times over the next two minutes before Lillard put the game away for good by scoring the Blazers' final nine points through the last 1:47 of play.

"The game was on the line, so I needed to step up," Lillard said.

The Pelicans led 55-53 to start a back-and-forth third, which featured four lead changes and six ties. New Orleans held the largest lead of the quarter, 81-75, with 2:06 on the clock, but Lillard scored the last five of the quarter to bring Portland within one heading into the final frame.

The second quarter was just as tight as the third with 10 lead changes and six ties. The largest lead of the quarter came at the 8:20 mark, 36-31, after Matthews made a pair from the line for Portland.

The Blazers led, 29-26, after the first on the strength of shooting 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Game Notes

Portland hosts Golden State on Sunday ... Lillard scored 16 of his 27 points in the fourth ... New Orleans will host Boston on Sunday ... Portland went 38- for-78 from the field, while the Pelicans shot 41-for-86.