Lillard pours in 40 as Blazers hold off Wizards

Damian Lillard scored 40 points and CJ McCollum added 25 as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers held on to defeat the Washington Wizards 119-109 Sunday night.

Portland led by as many as 29 points in the third quarter as Lillard poured in 19 of his points in the quarter, but the Wizards went on a 10-2 run to pull within 91-70 to start the fourth.

The Trail Blazers pushed the lead to 25 on a Nik Stauskas 3-pointer early in the fourth.

Washington's reserves closed strong against the Portland starters, and the Trail Blazers' lead shrank to as few as eight points in the final minute after Kelly Oubre's 3-point play.

However, Austin Rivers of the Wizards missed a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left, and Portland scored the final four points.

John Wall had 24 points for the Wizards, and Oubre added 19.

Wizards center Dwight Howard (aggravated gluteal soreness) played just seven minutes in the first quarter before reinjuring it and leaving the game.

Jusuf Nurkic had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Portland, which had lost two straight.

The Trailblazers outrebounded the Wizards 52-43 and made 30 of 35 free throws, while Washington converted 10 of 21.

Portland shot a blistering 57.1 percent in the first quarter, including 53.8 percent (7 of 13) from 3-point range.

McCollum's 3-pointer made it 32-12 with 3:54 left in the first, but the Wizards reeled off 13 straight points - six by Wall -- to close the quarter.

Washington got within 39-34 on Beal's jumper early in the second quarter, but the Trail Blazers outscored them 23-7 over the final 8:10 of the quarter to build a 62-41 halftime lead.

Lillard had 18 points in the half. Wall and Bradley Beal had 12 points each for the Wizards, who shot 34.7 percent in the half.

--Field Level Media

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