Final
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Trail Blazers-Pelicans Preview

Dec 22, 2015 - 5:19 PM The Portland Trail Blazers have not won since continuing their dominance of the New Orleans Pelicans a little more than a week ago.

Maintaining that series success could be more difficult Wednesday night, especially if the Trail Blazers don't have their top two scorers to help avoid being swept on a trip of at least five games for the first time in more than 40 seasons.

Damien Lillard scored 30 and backcourt mate C.J. McCollum added 16 with six assists to help Portland (11-19) record a seventh straight victory over New Orleans, 105-101 on Dec. 14. The Trail Blazers began this five-game trip two days later and have averaged 97.5 points and allowed 107.5 on 49.8 percent shooting to lose the first four.

Sitting 5-13 away from home, Portland has not gone winless on a trip of five or more games since an 0-5 trek Feb. 17-24, 1974.

Making matters worse, Lillard (24.6 points per game) could sit with lingering plantar fasciitis in his left foot that forced the All-Star to miss the first game of his four-year career in Monday's 106-97 loss at Atlanta. McCollum (20.1 ppg) also sat for the first time this season with two sprained ankles.

The duo is responsible for 42.6 percent of Portland's scoring.

"Obviously without C.J. and Damian (there were) different dynamics to the game," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said after Monday's defeat.

While there's no timetable for either to return, Lillard's injury seems to be less serious, though he won't jeopardize his entire season.

"I know it won't be long," he said. "It could be one game, maybe two. But I've just got to rest it. Try to stay off it. But that's it ... The reason why I'm not concerned with it really is because if I had to play right now I would go out there and play."

McCollum, who injured both ankles in Sunday's 116-109 loss at Miami, said the decision to sit Monday was "not my call."

"It's hard to play on two tweaked ankles," he added.

In their place Monday, Allen Crabbe had a season-high 19 points in almost 31 minutes and second-year point guard Tim Frazier scored 12 with seven assists, seven rebounds and five turnovers in 47 minutes as Portland tried to fight back from a 21-point hole.

"We're really a couple plays away," Crabbe said. "We came back, fought hard ... Just go back, look at the things we could clean up on, go to New Orleans and try to get a win."

Anthony Davis has totaled 53 points, 20 boards and blocked seven shots while the Pelicans (8-19) dropped the season's first two meetings - both in Portland.

Davis wouldn't let an illness and four IV treatments keep him from putting up 27 points, six rebounds and four blocks in a little less than 20 minutes Sunday to help New Orleans conclude a 2-3 trip with a 130-125 win at Denver.

"I was pretty sick," said Davis, who scored a career-high 19 first-quarter points. "I just wanted to leave it all out on the floor and get ready (to be) on the flight (back) home."

The only time New Orleans has recorded consecutive victories came during a three-game run Nov. 20-25.








  • PORTLAND: 89
    NEW ORLEANS: 115
    Final

    Dec 23 10:18 PM


  • PORTLAND: 65
    NEW ORLEANS: 80
    End of 3rd

    Dec 23 9:50 PM


  • PORTLAND: 36
    NEW ORLEANS: 53
    Halftime

    Dec 23 9:07 PM


  • PORTLAND: 23
    NEW ORLEANS: 26
    End of 1st

    Dec 23 8:34 PM
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    Trail Blazers 23, Pelicans 24  1st - 0:21Dec 23 8:32 PM


  • PORTLAND: 0
    NEW ORLEANS: 0
    1st Quarter - 12:00

    Dec 23 8:11 PM
  • 33
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    RUWTbot Took away 2 roots

    Trail Blazers vs. PelicansDec 15 8:31 AM
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    RUWTbot Added 35 roots

    Trail Blazers vs. PelicansAug 13 8:32 AM