Lillard Scores 34 Points, Blazers Beat Lakers, 106-94
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Damian Lillard scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 106-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.
Four other players scored in double figures for the Blazers, who have won 27 of their last 32 games and are a season-best 22 over .500 at 30-8. LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Chris Kaman added 12 rebounds and nine assists in his fourth start of the season and second against his former team.
Kobe Bryant was rested by Lakers coach Byron Scott for the sixth time in 11 games and second game in a row. The NBA's third-leading career scorer, playing in his 19th season at age 36, played in only six games last season due to a torn Achilles and a fracture in his left knee.
Wesley Johnson returned to the Lakers' lineup and scored 17 points after missing three games because of a strained hip flexor. Ronnie Price had a career-high 12 assists, one of which set up a driving dunk by Tarik Black that pulled the Lakers into a 69-all tie late in the third quarter.
Lakers reserve guard Nick Young, who was 3 for 11 from the field and 1 for 8 from 3-point range, missed one from behind the arc just before the third-quarter buzzer as Portland took a 72-69 lead into the fourth. Young's fast-break layup a minute into the quarter gave the Lakers a 73-72 edge, their last of the game.
Meyers Leonard put Portland ahead to stay with a 3-pointer, triggering a 17-3 run that helped the Trail Blazers open up an 89-76 lead with 6:50 to play. Lillard made a 3-pointer, a driving layup and a three-point play during a 1:54 span before Aldridge capped the rally with a 20-footer.
The Lakers got to 97-90 on 3-pointers by Wayne Ellington and Wesley Johnson against a defense that entered Sunday first in the NBA in defending the 3-point shot.
The 6-foot-3 Lillard Portland's final eight points, including a soaring slam dunk between the 6-10 duo of Jordan Hill and Ed Davis and turned it into a three-point play.
Lillard averaged 25 points over his previous four games against the Lakers. He scored 16 of his 39 points in the final 5:11 when the Blazers beat them 98-84 at Portland last Monday, and also had a 38-point effort against the Lakers on April 10, 2013.
Steve Blake, who spent three-plus seasons with the Lakers before he was traded to Golden State in February 2014, beat the halftime buzzer with a 3-pointer from the left corner to give Portland a 50-45 lead after coach Terry Stotts called a 20-second timeout with 7.4 seconds on the clock. The 12-year veteran guard is the only Blazers reserve who has played in all 38 games.
The Lakers are now 2-4 when Kobe Bryant is out of the line up.
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