Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, lead OKC to a 97-89 Game 4 victory -- and sweep of the Pelicans
Jalen Williams highlighted a 24-point performance with a back-breaking 3 with three minutes left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 97-89 to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder roll to 3-0 series lead with 106-85 win over the Pelicans
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-85 on Saturday to take a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 28 points as top-seeded Thunder edge Pelicans 94-92 in Game 1
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute, and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 94-92 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Zion Williamson out for playoff play-in game vs. Kings; out 2 weeks if Pelicans advance
Zion Williamson has been ruled out of the New Orleans Pelicansโ Western Conference play-in game against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night because of a left hamstring injury.
LeBron James' triple-double lifts Lakers over Pelicans and into a play-in rematch with New Orleans
LeBron James had 28 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals, and the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 124-108 victory over New Orleans that dropped the Pelicans out of a coveted top-six seeding.
New rest rules don't bother NBA players, who say they only want to sit out when they are hurt
With a new โplayer participation policy,โ the NBA has made it clear that healthy players should be on the court.
James closes in on NBA record, Lakers falls to Pelicans
LeBron James moved 36 points away from breaking the NBA career scoring record in the Los Angeles Lakersโ 131-126 loss to New Orleans on Saturday night that ended the Pelicansโ losing streak at 10 games.
Brown scores season-high 41 points, Celtics beat Pelicans
Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 41 points and had 12 rebounds and the Boston Celtics won their fourth straight game, holding off the New Orleans Pelicans 125-114 on Wednesday night.
McCollum leads short-handed Pelicans past Houston Rockets, 119-108
CJ McCollum scored 28 points and the short-handed Pelicans opened up a 31-point lead en route to a 119-108 victory over the struggling Houston Rockets.
Warriors 0-6 on road, fall to Pelicans with 4 starters out
The defending champion Golden State Warriors fell to 0-6 on the road, losing 114-105 to Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins sidelined.
Murphy leads under-manned Pelicans past Mavericks, 113-111
Trey Murphy III scored 22 points and the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans overcame Luka Doncicโs latest prolific performance to beat the Dallas Mavericks 113-111.
Zion scores 25 points in return, Pelicans rout Nets 130-108
Zion Williamson returned from a one-year absence with 25 points and nine rebounds, powering the New Orleans Pelicans to a season-opening 130-108 rout of the Brooklyn Nets.
AP source: Jerami Grant to be traded to Portland by Detroit
A person with knowledge of the situation said the Detroit Pistons have agreed to trade Olympic gold medalist Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers, with the biggest part of the return being a first-round pick in the 2025 draft.
Bridges, Paul lead Suns past Pelicans 112-97 for 3-2 lead
Mikal Bridges scored 31 points, Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists and the top-seeded Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 112-97 to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first-round series.
Paul, Ayton help Booker-less Suns beat Pelicans 114-111
Chris Paul scored 19 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Suns overcame Devin Bookerโs absence to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 114-111 on Friday night in Game 3 of the first-round series.
Pelicans rally past Suns 125-114 after Booker's injury
Brandon Ingram scored 37 points, CJ McCollum added 23 and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the top-seeded Phoenix Suns 125-114 in Game 2, evening the series in their Western Conference first-round matchup.
"Classic Chris" stellar down stretch, Suns beat Pels 110-99
Chris Paul scored 19 of his 30 points during a brilliant fourth-quarter shooting display and the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 110-99 on Sunday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
Pelicans earn 105-101 win over Clippers, claim No. 8 seed
Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 105-101 in a play-in and earn the Westโs No. 8 seed for the playoffs.
CJ McCollum leads Pelicans past Spurs in play-in game
CJ McCollum scored 27 of his 32 points in the first half, Brandon Ingram shook foul trouble to add 27 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 113-103 on Wednesday night in a Western Conference play-in game.
Thompson scores 41, Warriors top Pelicans to clinch 3rd seed
Klay Thompson's 41-point performance included seven 3-pointers for the Golden State Warriors, who clinched the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a 128-107 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Ja Morant returns to help Grizzlies rout Pelicans, 141-114
Ja Morant had 21 points and nine assists in his return from soreness in his right knee, Dillon Brooks scored 23 points and the Memphis Grizzlies routed the New Orleans Pelicans 141-114 on Saturday night to tie the 2012-13 franchise record for victories in a season at 56.
McCollum cheered in return, helps Pelicans beat Blazers
CJ McCollum received a 90-second standing ovation in his first visit to Portland since a February trade to New Orleans, then scored 25 points to lead the Pelicans over the Trail Blazers 117-107.
Luka Doncic scores 49 points, Mavs beat Pelicans 125-118
Luka Doncic had 49 points and 15 rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks never trailed in a 125-118 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night, their sixth victory in seven games.
Simons, Portland hand Houston another home loss, 125-110
Anfernee Simons scored 27 points, CJ McCollum had 26 and the Portland Trail Blazers handed Houston its franchise-record 10th straight home loss, beating the Rockets 125-110.
Blazers top Hawks, weather Young's NBA season-best 56 points
Anfernee Simons had a career-high 43 points and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame an NBA season-best 56 points by Atlantaโs Trae Young, snapping a four-game losing streak in a 136-131 win over the Hawks.
Ayton returns to pace Suns in 111-107 win over Blazers in OT
Deandre Ayton had 28 points and 13 rebounds in his return from a non-COVID-19 illness, and the Phoenix Suns held off the Portland Trail Blazers 111-107 in overtime.
Stephen Curry closes in on 3s record as Warriors top Blazers
Stephen Curry scored 22 points and moved within nine 3-pointers of tying Ray Allenโs career record, and the Golden State Warriors held off the injury-depleted Portland Trail Blazers 104-94.
Nuggets beat Blazers 147-140 in 2OT, Lillard scores 55
Michael Porter Jr.โs 3-pointer with 1:33 left in the second overtime helped the Denver Nuggets squelch an epic comeback by the Portland Trail Blazers with a 147-140 win Tuesday night.
Trail Blazers beat Nuggets 115-95 in Game 4 to tie series
Norman Powell matched his career playoff high with 29 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 115-95 on Saturday in Game 4 to even the first-round series.
Jokic scores 38, Nuggets beat Blazers 128-109 to even series
Nikola Jokic scored 38 points to overcome a 3-point shooting barrage from Damian Lillard and the Denver Nuggets evened the first-round series by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 128-109 in a chippy Game 2.
Lillard leads 3-point barrage, Blazers beat Nuggets 123-109
Damian Lillard scored 34 points and led Portlandโs 3-point barrage that sparked the Trail Blazersโ 123-109 win over the Denver Nuggets in the opener of their first-round playoff series Saturday night.
Lillard scores 30 points as Trail Blazers down 76ers 118-114
Anthony scored a season-high 24 points off the bench, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and the Trail Blazers beat the Sixers 118-114 on Thursday night. Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 35 points and nine rebounds, and Ben Simmons added 23 points and 11 boards. โI thought tonight was just one of those games where we felt like we had to win the game,โ Anthony said. Trail Blazers: It was the first of a back-to-back for Portland. The Trail Blazers host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Trent, Anthony lead undermanned Portland past 76ers 121-105
Portland Trail Blazers' Rodney Hood, left, tries to dribble past Philadelphia 76ers' Seth Curry during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Philadelphia. Gary Trent Jr. scored 24 points and Enes Kanter had 17 points and 18 rebounds to lead the undermanned Trail Blazers to a 121-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. Carmelo Anthony had 22 points and a Trail Blazers team with four starters missing led by as many as 29 points against the top team in the East. โBut on both ends of the floor, the other guys did an amazing job today.โJoel Embiid scored 37 points for the Sixers. Throw in four players already out with injuries -- including Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) and McCollum (left foot) -- and the Trail Blazers were down to nine players.
Stephen Curry has career-high 62, Warriors beat Blazers
Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee, right, pours water over the head of guard Stephen Curry (30) while celebrating Curry's career-high 62 points against the Portland Trail Blazers in an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. One small blemish in his brilliant night: Curry had his streak of free throws snapped at a franchise-record 80 in the first. Against Portland, Curry made a career-high 18 of his most attempts yet at 19. McCollum shot 2 for 8 from deep after his 25 3-pointers over the initial five games left him and Curry as the only players to ever do so. ... Curry scored 20 or more in a quarter for the 27th time in his career.
Lillard, Trent shoot Blazers past champion Lakers, 115-107
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, right, fouls Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroeder (17) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES โ Damian Lillard scored 21 of his 31 points in the second half, and CJ McCollum had 20 points and 11 assists in the Portland Trail Blazers' 115-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. Gary Trent Jr. matched his career high with seven 3-pointers while scoring 28 points in the Blazers' second straight win over the Lakers at Staples Center. Dennis Schrรถder added 24 points, but the Lakers' streak of 59 straight victories when taking a lead into the fourth quarter was snapped. ... Los Angeles got just 23 bench points, led by Montrezl Harrell's nine.
McCollum scores 44 to lift Trail Blazers past Rockets in OT
(AP Photo/Steve Dykes)PORTLAND, Ore. โ CJ McCollum scored 44 points, including a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left that gave the Portland Trail Blazers a 128-126 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. Lillardโs layup pushed the Blazers ahead 125-123 with 30 seconds left in overtime, but Harden made a 3 to push the Rockets ahead with 15.3 seconds left. Then with 6.3 seconds left, the ball found McCollum again and the Blazersโ guard hit another long range shot putting Portland ahead 128-126. After Wood cut the Blazers lead to 123-120 with a layup, Harden tied the game again at 123 with 38.6 seconds left. Harden responded with a basket of his own to tie it again at 113 with 38.9 seconds left.
Lakers brace for Harden, Westbrook and small-ball Rockets
James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets are the opponent when the top-seeded Lakers open the Western Conference semifinals Friday night. The Rockets' debut of their small-ball style was a big success when they beat the Lakers 121-111 in Los Angeles on Feb. 6 behind 41 points from Westbrook. Its a contrast from the last series but excited about what we hope to accomplish with this series, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. GORDON'S GAMEEric Gordon also scored 21 points for the Rockets in Game 7, making five 3-pointers. SEASON SERIESThe Rockets went 2-1 against the Lakers, though James sat out Houston's 16-point victory at Disney on Aug. 6.
James and Lakers advance with 131-122 win over Trail Blazers
We got better throughout the course of the series, James said. The Lakers hadn't won a playoff series since 2012. James has never lost a first-round playoff series, going 14-0. CJ McCollum had 36 points for the surprisingly scrappy Trail Blazers, who played without injured All-Star guard Damian Lillard. His personality and energy were unmatched, and his contributions on the court were unmistakable, helping the Trail Blazers into the playoffs each of his eight seasons with the team, the Blazers said in a statement.
On Kobe Bryant Day, Lakers dominate Blazers 135-115
The Trail Blazers won the opener but have appeared gassed in the past two games as the grind of the bubble and injuries appear to have taken a toll. It was considered Kobe Day because Monday was 8/24, the two numbers Kobe Bryant wore during his 20-year career. We want to have this be a day to celebrate his life and carry that type of emotion into the game, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said before the game. It was the most points in a half for Los Angeles in a playoff game since a game against Denver in 1987. Trail Blazers: It was the first time this season that the Blazers allowed an opponent 80 first-half points.
Lillard scores 34 and Blazers beat Lakers 100-93 in Game 1
James' layup gave Los Angeles the lead, and Kuzma added a pair of free throws and another layup to extend it to 84-78. After Danny Green's layup tied it again for Los Angeles, Lillard nailed a 3-pointer. The Blazers were able to stay in front throughout the third quarter, but the Lakers kept it close. The game was delayed for a time in the first half when the Lakers' rim got tilted and had to be adjusted. TIP INSTrail Blazers: Lillard had 48 points in Portland's 127-119 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Jan. 31.
Disney is nice but for NBA's top teams, no place like home
But right now it's more hurting the teams that should be playing in front of rowdy fans, not virtual ones. With Domantas Sabonis lost to injury, the Pacers need Turner to do even more on the inside to pick up the slack. Game 2, 9 p.m. ESPN NEED TO KNOW: These teams are seeded No. 8 based on what they did over the entire season, but there is no such difference in the bubble. Vogel said he believes in adjusting when necessary and may decide the Lakers need more speed on the floor and go smaller.
Blazers make playoffs, oust Grizzlies with 126-122 victory
Portland finished eighth in the West, Memphis was ninth, and the Grizzlies needed to sweep a two-game matchup to advance. They had a chance, up eight in the final quarter, before Portland did what Portland does in the bubble find a way at the end. The Grizzlies' 42-point third quarter matched the second-highest scoring period of the season for Memphis and was the second-highest scoring third quarter in franchise history. LOOKING AHEADThe Lakers went 2-1 against the Blazers this season, with the road team winning all three games. Anthony Davis (32.0 ppg) and LeBron James (24.7 ppg) led the Lakers; Lillard (36.0 ppg) and Whiteside (22.0 ppg) led the Blazers.
Lillard, Blazers escape Nets, advance to play-in series
The Trail Blazers secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference only after Brooklyn's Caris LeVert, who scored 37 points, missed a jumper just before time expired. The winner of the play-in series gets the final spot in the West and a first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Had the Blazers lost, the Suns would have inched ahead of them into ninth. LeVert came back with a three-point play and had a chance to win it after Carmelo Anthony missed a 3-pointer, but his jumper was off.
Lillard pours in 61 to lift Blazers past Mavs, 134-131
Kristaps Porzingis scored 36 points and Luka Doncic had 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who will finish No. Lillard then drew a double-team and dished to Haasan Whiteside for a dunk to put the Blazers up by two. The game featured the two leading scorers since the NBA restart, with Doncic entering averaging 33.4 points and Lillard 33. Lillard was hot from the start, scoring 25 in the first half as the Blazers took a 66-58 lead. Mavericks: Play Suns on Thursday.
McGruder's late 3 helps Clippers edge Trail Blazers 122-120
Portland led by as much as 10 in the first quarter and was up 37-34 at the end of the quarter. They also outshot the Trail Blazers outside the arc hitting 15 of 34 (44.1%) compared to 17 of 43 (39.5%). Trail Blazers: Outscored Los Angeles 46-38 in the paint. HEY YOUThe Trail Blazers had some regional support with Blitz the Seahawk, mascot for the NFLs Seattle Seahawks, sitting in the virtual seats, for the early afternoon game. Trail Blazers: Play Philadelphia on Sunday.
Lillard, Anthony help Blazers over Rockets, 110-102
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. Damian Lillard scored 21 points and Carmelo Anthony hit a big 3-pointer late to help the Portland Trail Blazers to a 110-102 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night. The Blazers were up by six midway through the final quarter after CJ McCollum and Lillard made consecutive baskets. Lillard had a three-point play and then sank 3s on consecutive possessions to allow the Trail Blazers to build the lead. Trail Blazers: Trent had 16 points and made four 3s. Trail Blazers: Play Denver on Thursday.
Tatum has 34 as Celtics beat Trail Blazers 128-124
That was a playoff-level energy that we had to play with at the end of the game, Boston coach Brad Stevens said. Jaylen was open and those were the right reads.Damian Lillard had 30 points and 16 assists for Portland. Jusuf Nurkic added 30 points in his second official game back after breaking his leg in March 2019. UP NEXTTrail Blazers: Play Houston on Tuesday night. Celtics: Play the Heat on Tuesday night.
McCollum, Lillard help Blazers get past Memphis in OT
Lillard finished with 29 points and nine assists as the Trail Blazers boosted their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. Everybody knew how important that game was," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists for Memphis. It was a weird game," McCollum said.
James' layup late lifts Lakers past Clippers, 103-101
Anthony Davis scored 34 points, James had the go-ahead basket with 12.8 seconds left and the Lakers moved closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs by topping the Los Angeles Clippers 103-101 on Thursday night in the second game of the NBAs re-opening doubleheader. James had 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to help the Lakers move 6 1/2 games ahead of the Clippers in the West with seven games remaining. The Clippers got that lead after a 26-5 run; the Lakers immediately rebutted with a 36-14 run to reclaim control. It was a good game," Leonard said.