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Trail Blazers 105, Bulls 87
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
PORTLAND — Guard Damian Lillard scored 21 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed six rebounds despite sitting out the fourth quarter in Portland’s 105-87 rout of Chicago Friday night at the Moda Center.
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists for the Trail Blazers (9-3), who won their sixth straight game and improved to 8-1 at home.
Rookie forward Nikola Mirotic came off the bench for season highs in points (24) and rebounds (11) for the Bulls (8-5), who lost for the third time in four games. Guard Aaron Brooks was the only other Chicago player to score in double figures with 12 points.
Portland shot .494 from the field and .563 (9-for-16) on 3-point attempts. Lillard sank 7 of 9 shots from the field, including 4 of 4 attempts from 3-point range, and was 3 for 3 at the free-throw line in his 26 minutes.
The Bulls shot only .361 from the field as their five starters combined for 37 points.
Hot shooting by Aldridge (6-for-9, including 2-for-2 on 3-pointers, 14 points) and Lillard (5-for-6, 3-for-3 on 3’s, 13 points) sparked Portland to a 61-43 halftime edge. The Blazers fired at a .610 clip from the field while the Bulls shot only .319 in the half.
Portland extended its lead to 89-61 late in the third quarter, and garbage time was on.
The Blazers jumped to an 18-3 lead midway through the first quarter, the Bulls hitting only 1 of their first 12 shots from the field. Soon the margin was 26-9.
Chicago followed with a 12-4 spurt to get to within 30-21. It was 32-21 going into the second quarter, Aldridge leading the way with 12 points.
The Bulls cut the difference to 39-35 early in the second period. It was 45-39 when Lillard scored eight points, including back-to-back 3s, to key a 14-0 run as Portland re-established control, going on top 59-39.
NOTES: Chicago was without its top two players because of injury — G Derrick Rose (hamstring) and F Pau Gasol (calf). Also, G Kirk Hinrich, who suffered a chest contusion in Thursday’s loss at Sacramento, did not play. “Whatever your circumstances are, you make the best of them,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. … Portland F Nicolas Batum, who missed the previous four games with a knee contusion, started. … The Blazers were without reserve G CJ McCollum, expected to miss a month with a broken finger. … Chicago G Jimmy Butler entered the game with a 21.5-point scoring average, more than eight points above the 13.1-point average he posted a year ago. … Thibodeau was an assistant coach on the U.S. national team last summer, working during the tryouts with Portland G Damian Lillard. “He’s terrific,” Thibodeau said. “There’s nothing he can’t do. We have a lot of elite point guards in the league, but he is right in there with the top group.”
