Okafor Help 76ers Rout Trail Blazers 114-89
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jahlil Okafor had 25 points and 10 rebounds to help the Philadelphia 76ers snap a four-game losing streak with a 114-89 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.
Richaun Holmes added 17 points off the bench and Ish Smith and Robert Covington scored 16 apiece for the Sixers, who enjoyed a rare blowout victory. They improved to 5-37 with their most lopsided win of the season.
Damian Lillard scored 14 points to lead the Blazers, who dropped to 18-25 as their three-game winning streak ended. C.J. McCollum finished with 13 and Mason Plumlee and Miles Leonard had 12 apiece.
Portland, in the midst of a three-game East Coast swing, looked flat from the opening tip.
Okafor torched the Blazers for 10 points in the first four minutes and 17 in the first quarter — as many as the entire Portland team. With a mixture of post moves and jumpers, the rookie center only missed one of his nine shot attempts in the opening quarter to help Philly take a 29-17 lead.
The Sixers extended their lead to 22 with 7:45 left in the second quarter on a Covington transition 3-pointer, moments after a Nerlens Noel block on the other end. Covington hit another three less than two minutes later to put Philly up 25 and the Sixers went into halftime with a comfortable 68-43 advantage after Smith hit a runner right before the buzzer.
The Sixers blew a 24-point lead in an overtime loss to the Bulls on Thursday but didn't suffer the same fate two days later. They continued to put their foot on the gas coming out of halftime, going up 29 on a Smith-to-Jakarr Sampson alley oop midway through the third and 31 on a Covington three with two minutes left in the quarter.
Lillard and McCollum, the league's highest scoring guard combo, shot 10 for 36 while combining to score nearly 20 points below their season average.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland lost to Philadelphia for the first time in four straight matchups. ... The Blazers shot just 16 for 43 from the field and 2 for 14 from 3-point range in the first half. ... Lillard has led the team in scoring in each of the last seven games. ... The Blazers were denied their first four-game win streak since last March.
76ers: Starters Nik Stauskas (shoulder) and Jerami Grant (calf) both missed the game with injuries. Head coach Brett Brown said he hopes both will be back for Philly's next game. ... Elton Brand was inactive. He's yet to make his season debut after the Sixers signed him on Jan. 4. . The Sixers trotted out their 22nd different starting lineup in 42 games this season. ... Smith and Canaan combined to score the Philly's final 13 points of the first half.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Visit Washington on Monday.
76ers: Visit New York on Monday.
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