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Trail Blazers 130, Nuggets 113
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
DENVER — Guard Damian Lillard had 27 points and nine assists, center Robin Lopez scored 19 and the Portland Trail Blazers routed the struggling Denver Nuggets 130-113 on Wednesday night.
Center Chris Kaman scored 16 points and guard C.J. McCollum had 15 points off the bench for the Trail Blazers.
Guard Ty Lawson scored a season-high 32 points and forward J.J. Hickson had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Denver.
The Trail Blazers won despite playing the second game of a back-to-back. They rallied from 23 points down to beat Charlotte on Tuesday night and then flew into frigid Colorado late.
They showed no signs of fatigue, dominating the Nuggets throughout. Portland shot 61 percent in the first half and controlled every statistical category — without much help from forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has averaged 28 points a game against Denver the previous five games.
The Trail Blazers didn’t need him Wednesday night. While Portland was building a 34-point lead in the first half, Aldridge took just six shots and scored nine points. The damage came from all over, with Kaman scoring 10 points in 10 minutes and Lillard nearly getting a double-double with 16 points and nine assists.
This came after Denver led 9-2 in the early going only to be outscored 82-41 the rest of the first half.
It was another low point for the Nuggets, who have been regressing since their opening-night win against Detroit. They’ve lost six straight, and four of them have been by double-digit margins.
Aldridge put the exclamation point on the half with a 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds left that made it 84-50. The Nuggets players and coaches headed to the locker room to loud boos.
The 84 points was the second highest scoring first half in Blazers franchise history. They had 85 against Sacramento on Feb. 2, 1992.
The second half was a mere formality. Denver coach Brian Shaw shuffled his lineup to start the third quarter but it wasn’t enough to make a serious dent in the deficit. A 15-0 run got the Nuggets within 21 and Lawson’s 3-pointer late in the third made it 94-76. But Lillard answered with three straight 3-pointers and Portland went into the fourth ahead 111-78.
NOTES: Portland F Nicolas Batum missed his second straight game with a right knee contusion. G Allen Crabbe started in his place. … Nuggets F Danilo Gallinari had his minutes restrictions lifted, according to coach Brian Shaw. Gallinari, who missed all of last season after two left knee surgeries on his torn ACL, has had his playing time capped around 20 minutes. He is still coming off the bench. … The Trail Blazers’ 23-point comeback win over Charlotte on Tuesday night was their largest come-from-behind victory in four seasons. … Denver F Darrell Arthur returned after serving a one-game suspension for his Flagrant 2 foul against Cleveland on Friday.
