Portland Trail Blazers

The Los Angeles Lakers ended their three-game losing streak with a 99-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

Anthony Davis led the way with 30 points and 15 rebounds as Los Angeles improved to 25-27. Carmelo Anthony added 24 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

🚨 Melo Oop Alert 🚨 pic.twitter.com/wjmZhwtsR5

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 3, 2022

The Lakers overcame the absence of star forward LeBron James, who missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury.

The Blazers fell to 21-31 after their third straight loss and fourth in their last five games. Norman Powell led the team with 30 points.

Portland remained without star point guard Damian Lillard, who hasn't played since Dec. 31 after undergoing surgery on a core muscle injury.

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Notable Stats

F Anthony Davis, LAL: 30 points, 15 rebounds

F Carmelo Anthony, LAL: 24 points (5-of-6 3PT FG), 8 rebounds (off bench)

G Russell Westbrook, LAL: 9 points (3-of-11 FG), 10 rebounds, 13 assists

F Norman Powell, POR: 30 points

G Anfernee Simons, POR: 19 points

C Jusuf Nurkic, POR: 16 points, 13 rebounds

G CJ McCollum, POR: 15 points (5-of-17 FG), 8 rebounds

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Lakers Overcome Sloppy Mistakes in Victory

Throughout the early part of the game, it looked like Los Angeles was on its way to an easy win. But the Lakers' habit of committing turnovers reared its ugly head and allowed Portland to get back into the game.

Los Angeles jumped out to a 12-point lead after one quarter, but eight first-half turnovers led to just a one-point advantage entering halftime.

The Lakers also did a subpar job on the defensive glass, allowing the Blazers to grab 11 offensive boards through the first two stanzas.

In the third quarter, Portland took the lead thanks to more mistakes by Los Angeles. Despite holding the Blazers to a low shooting percentage, the Lakers couldn't capitalize because of continued sloppy play.

LAL trail 71-69 with 2:45 left in the 3rd Q. They continue to be plagued by turnovers, committing 13 to Portland’s 4. Blazers are shooting just 35.1% from the field, but have taken 22 more shots due to the TO margin, plus a 15-7 edge on the offensive glass.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 3, 2022

Lakers with 14 turnovers for 19 Blazers points. https://t.co/EoS1e5i6OW

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) February 3, 2022

The Lakers were saved by a late burst by Davis. The big man had 11 of his 30 points and eight of his 15 rebounds in the fourth quarter alone to secure the win.

Anthony Davis has taken over the backboards, which were a problem for LAL earlier in the game, to put his team in strong position with 52.0 seconds left.

It’s a 94-89 lead, with AD going to the line after he grabbed an offensive board, his 14th overall.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 3, 2022

Even without James, it was surprising to see the Lakers struggle so much to limit their mistakes. They finished the game with 17 turnovers. If not for special offensive nights from Davis and Anthony, Los Angeles could've found itself four games below .500.

The Lakers will have to do a better job of taking care of the ball if they hope to turn their season around and compete for a title. The elite teams in the Western Conference will not let them survive so many mistakes like the Blazers did on Wednesday.

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Blazers Poor Shooting Shows Up at Inopportune Moments

It wasn't an entirely bad game for Portland. The problem was that the team's poor shooting showed up at the worst times.

The Blazers missed their first eight three-pointers and fell behind by 12 after the first quarter. They managed to turn things around in the middle frames by connecting on 11 of their next 24 shots from beyond the arc (45.8 percent).

In addition to their improved shooting, the Blazers were able to capitalize off of Lakers turnovers, and they also did a great job of crashing the offensive glass.

And now they're in this game almost entirely due to three-point shooting https://t.co/Tl1ywwxApP

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) February 3, 2022

This was real nice, @trendonw pic.twitter.com/boExKjPFge

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 3, 2022

But things fell apart in the fourth quarter. The Blazers made just three of their eight three-point attempts and also turned the ball over nine times in the final frame after just four giveaways in the first three quarters.

Portland finished the game shooting 35-of-98 from the field (35.7 percent) and 14-of-42 from three-point land (33.3 percent).

CJ McCollum, who is expected to lead the team in Lillard's absence, shot just 5-of-17 from the floor. It was an ugly performance that ruined the team's chances of stealing a win on the road.

The Blazers will have to put this game in their rearview and move on. Portland is a better shooting team than it showed on Wednesday, so it just has to find a way to be more efficient going forward.

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What's Next?

The Lakers will look to keep the momentum going on Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Blazers will return to Portland to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday in the first contest of a five-game homestand.

Portland Trail Blazers center Cody Zeller is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks after undergoing surgery Tuesday for a patellar fracture in his right knee, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The nine-year NBA veteran, who is in his first season with Portland after spending eight campaigns with the Charlotte Hornets, is averaging 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game for the Blazers. He has been out since Jan. 10.

The former Indiana star signed a one-year, $2.4 million contract with Portland last August. He's played behind starting center Jusuf Nurkic, who is averaging 14.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

The 20-26 Blazers have been hit hard with injuries all season, with their top three scorers all missing time.

Damian Lillard has been held to 29 games this year and is currently out after undergoing abdominal surgery to rectify a lingering injury. CJ McCollum missed 18 games with a collapsed right lung. Norman Powell sat the last eight games after entering the NBA's health-and-safety protocols.

McCollum and Powell are back, but the Blazers have also been without big man Larry Nance Jr. (right knee inflammation) since Jan. 7.

Still, Portland has soldiered ahead despite the litany of injuries, winning six of its last eight to move into the fourth and final Western Conference play-in tournament spot at the moment.

A little over one week after undergoing abdominal surgery, Portland Trail Blazers superstar guard Damian Lillard said Saturday that he's "not in a rush" to return to action.

Lillard addressed the media Saturday for the first time since undergoing surgery to fix an abdominal issue that had impacted him throughout the 2021-22 season:

"My number one goal is to win a championship and I need to be in the best form of myself to make that happen."@dame_lillard speaks to the media for the first time since his surgery: https://t.co/38jA6Xl9yx pic.twitter.com/wSizFKh857

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 22, 2022

The six-time All-Star reiterated that the plan remains for doctors to reevaluate him six to eight weeks after the surgery to determine the best course for his return.

Lillard also said his "No. 1 goal" is to win a championship, and he noted he has to be healthy and at his best for that to be possible.

The 31-year-old has been one of the NBA's premier guards over the past several seasons, averaging 25 points per game or more in six consecutive campaigns entering 2021-22.

In 29 games this season, Lillard was averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 three-pointers made. He shot 40.2 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc.

With Lillard missing time and guard CJ McCollum recently returning from an 18-game absence (collapsed lung), this season has been a challenge for Portland.

The Blazers are 10th in the Western Conference at 19-26, meaning they would be part of the postseason play-in tournament if the regular season ended today.

Lillard was asked Saturday about the possibility of Portland playing for a better draft pick rather than a playoff spot, and he responded by saying it "wouldn't make sense" for him to return this season if that were the case:

"If we're going to play for a draft pick, then it wouldn't make sense...because I'm not going to play for a draft pick. I'm just not capable of that"

Damian Lillard to @jwquick when asked if he would play if the team was focused on moving up draft#RipCity | @Dame_Lillard pic.twitter.com/bT5oj46aPx

— Orlando Sanchez (@orlandokgw) January 22, 2022

Every indication is that head coach Chauncey Billups is trying to stretch Portland's playoff streak to nine consecutive seasons in his first year as the team's coach, though.

McCollum will be the go-to guy until Lillard can return, while guard Anfernee Simons, who is having a career season, will continue to fill in for Lillard.

The Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly showing interest in Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Wednesday there's pressure on Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin to "calm those waters" because of the team's lackluster 18-25 record and Damian Lillard's uncertain future with the franchise, which could lead to a blockbuster trade.

The Blazers announced last week that Lillard underwent core surgery to relieve "chronic abdominal pain," which would sideline him for at least six weeks.

Lillard told Casey Holdahl of the team's official website there was part of him that wanted to keep fighting through the pain in pursuit of a playoff spot, but he came to the conclusion surgery was the best option to get him back playing at a top-tier level:

I know [surgery] is ultimately going to be what's best for the team, too. I'd rather be selfish for the team, what I see for our organization and where I want it to go. It makes no sense to keep doing it the way we was doing it. It's like, alright, take a step back to take how many steps forward. It's just what had to happen.

The six-time All-Star's numbers had dipped while playing through the injury. His 24 points per game were the lowest since 2014-15, and he was shooting a career-worst 40.2 percent from the field.

Getting Lillard, who's also been the focus of trade rumors dating back to last offseason, back to full strength is just part of the equation, though. Portland must upgrade its roster if its going to re-emerge as a true contender in the Western Conference.

The Blazers reached the conference finals in 2019, but got knocked out of the postseason in the first round each of the past two years.

Adding another high-impact player like Brown or Grant would be a major step in the right direction, though the asking price from the Celtics or Pistons is unknown.

Brown is averaging 24.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals across 31 games this season. Boston, like Portland, has faced questions about whether it's time to shake up its core duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Grant is putting up 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals in 24 appearances during the current campaign. His contract runs out after next season, and with Detroit not yet ready to contend, now might be the best time to trade him to maximize the return.

Whether the Blazers have the assets to acquire either of those high-impact players is up for debate, though. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic would likely generate interest, but those type of wide-scale roster revamps are usually accomplished in the offseason, not at the deadline.

So, Portland has to weigh its chances of a trade making it a threat in the West against the future assets it would likely have to give up to bring in another marquee player, which is the first major test for Cronin in the interim GM role.

The Portland Trail Blazers have reportedly shown interest in Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10, with CJ McCollum potentially being included in talks.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Friday on The Hoop Collective podcast (11-minute mark) the Blazers continue to focus on high-end trade targets despite Damian Lillard undergoing abdominal surgery that's expected to sideline him for at least six weeks:

The Blazers don't want to trade these guys for second-year players. They want some guys who are going to instantaneously be re-contenders next year. They just want to retrofit what they've got and so that's where McCollum comes in. [Jusuf] Nurkic has been eligible for an extension and he hasn't gotten one. They haven't been able to work out a deal and so maybe Nurkic ends up staying because Nurkic and Lillard have been terrific pick-and-roll partners over the years. I don't think there's a desire to get out of Nurkic. One of the guys I've been told that the Blazers have some interest in is Myles Turner with the Pacers.

Portland has struggled throughout the first half of the regular season. It owns a 15-26 record, which ranks 10th in the Western Conference, and a 3-7 mark over the past 10 games. The poor performance has been driven by a miserable 2-14 record in road games.

Fading to the fringe of playoff contention combined with Lillard's injury raised questions about how the Blazers planned to move forward for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign and beyond.

McCollum, who's nearing a return from a collapsed lung that's kept him out since early December, could emerge as a key trade chip in the weeks ahead.

The 30-year-old Ohio native had struggled with his shot at times before the injury—his 42.4 shooting percentage represents his lowest mark since his rookie season in 2013-14—but his other numbers were either at or above his career averages.

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer assessed McCollum's trade value on Thursday:

Assessing the interest for McCollum is somewhat difficult given his recent collapsed lung and a decline in production at the age of 30. But former GM Neil Olshey's regime valued McCollum quite highly, and there's a sense among some rival executives that McCollum would have a sizable market at a lower evaluation than Olshey may have held.

Fischer also noted the Blazers' interest in Turner, though they are far from alone. He listed the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings as other potential landing spots for the Pacers star.

Turner, 25, is enjoying another strong season in Indiana. He's averaged 13 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while shooting a career-best 51.6 percent from the field.

Like the Blazers, however, the Pacers have struggled to remain afloat in the playoff picture with a 15-27 record and could look to shake up their core ahead of the deadline.

It could set the stage for a blockbuster deal between the teams, though Indiana would likely want significant future assets included if the deal features a Turner-McCollum base.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is reportedly "not worried about" how is abdominal injury could affect his team's decision to give him a contract extension at the end of the season.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst provided more information on NBA Today during a conversation with studio host Malika Andrews (1:40 mark).

"However, in talking to folks around Dame, this is not something that Dame is worried about," Windhorst said. "Dame is trying to get healthy. Dame wants to remain in Portland, and the contract extension will come as a normal course of business as most players who have two years left on his contract—stars, guys like [Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler], who did the exact same thing last summer—they will talk about it, but it's not something that is a guiding principle I am told."

The Blazers announced on Thursday that Lillard underwent surgery "to repair a core injury causing chronic abdominal pain." The 31-year-old, who has been out since Dec. 31, will be re-evaluated in six weeks.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Lillard is eligible—and wants to—sign a two-year, $107 million contract extension in July that would keep him with the team through the 2026-27 campaign.

He's currently playing on a four-year, $196 million supermax contract extension through 2024-25.

Lillard missed a game on Nov. 14 as well as a stint from Dec. 1-12 because of the abdominal injury. His performance has notably taken a dip in 2021-22, with his scoring (28.8 points per game in 2020-21 to 24.0 PPG), field-goal percentage (45.1 to a career-low 40.2 percent) and three-point percentage (39.1 to a career-low 32.4 percent) all falling.

Lillard told reporters (h/t Jason Quick of The Athletic) in November that he's been playing with abdominal discomfort for the last three seasons. He also aggravated the abdominal injury during the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

The six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection and Olympic gold medalist earned a spot on the league's 75th anniversary team this past year. He's one of the game's most prolific offensive players when healthy and has been part of eight straight Blazers teams that have earned postseason berths.

That streak is on the line with the shorthanded 16-24 Blazers currently 10th in the Western Conference, but it's conceivable Lillard comes back late in the season and looks like his old self as he guides Portland to the playoffs once again.

Regardless of his return date, though, the hope is that one of the game's most entertaining and clutch players gets back healthy as soon as possible.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard provided a positive update Thursday after undergoing abdominal surgery.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Lillard said he "feels good" and will be re-evaluated in five to six weeks.

The 31-year-old has been sidelined for 11 of the Blazers' 40 games in 2021-22. A lingering abdominal injury (which the Blazers called lower abdominal tendinopathy, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic) has bothered him this season.

Lillard told reporters in November that he had also played each of the last three seasons with that abdominal discomfort.

As Charania noted, the Weber State product sat on Nov. 14 with the injury and missed a stretch from Dec. 1-12. He's been out since Dec. 31 because of the ailment.

Lillard aggravated his abdominal injury during Team USA's gold-medal run at last year's Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The injury has lingered into the 2021-22 regular season, though. His scoring and shooting numbers have noticeably fallen: He averaged 28.8 points on 45.1 percent shooting in 2020-21 and 24.0 points on 40.2 percent shooting in 2021-22.

At his best and healthiest, the Oakland, California, native is a stone-cold killer capable of dropping 60-plus points and shooting three-pointers from different zip codes. He's been the biggest reason why Portland has made the playoffs from 2014-2021.

Without a healthy Lillard (and with the team also missing backcourt mate C.J. McCollum for over a month with a collapsed lung), the Blazers have struggled, going 16-24 through 40 games.

They still have a shot at qualifying for the play-in tournament, though, with the bottom six teams in the Western Conference all struggling this year.

The Blazers have gotten some good production from other players who have stepped up, though. And Anfernee Simons, in particular, has starred on occasion.

The four-year NBA veteran has averaged a career-high 14.1 points per game with his newfound opportunities.

Norman Powell has also stepped up to help with offensive production, averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard reportedly is undergoing surgery to address a lingering abdominal injury.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the surgery is not believed to be season-ending but "that is to be determined." 

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports added Lillard will be reevaluated in six to eight weeks.

Lillard has not played since a Dec. 31 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He had been playing through lower abdominal tendinopathy for much of the season before being shut down at the start of the new year. The Blazers announced Jan. 5 that Lillard would undergo consultation with experts to determine his next step.

While the team won't rule Lillard out for the remainder of the season, it's hard to find a reason why he would return. The Blazers are 16-24 as the halfway point of the season approaches, barely clinging to the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Lillard's upcoming extended absence makes it a virtual certainty that Portland will be on the outside looking in on the playoff picture once the All-Star guard is healthy enough to return.

There is also some long-term incentive in Lillard sitting out. The Blazers haven't picked in the lottery since 2013 after making eight straight playoff appearances. Their on-court consistency was admirable, but they've been stuck in a no man's land of early playoff exits for several years.

Shutting down Lillard and then hoping for some lottery luck could be Portland's best bet at building a winner. The team could use its first-round pick and package it along with other players on the roster for an All-Star costar next to Lillard, potentially deading the Lillard trade rumors once and for all.

With the current iteration of the roster going nowhere fast, there's going to be a temptation to play the long game. 

Nassir Little took issue with Kyrie Irving's characterization of his dive at the ball in the Portland Trail Blazers' 114-108 home win Monday night.

The Brooklyn Nets star told reporters after the game the dive was "a bad play" and "unnecessary."

"There’s no place in our game for it," Irving said. "I get the intent from Nassir, it’s nothing against him. But it was unnecessary."

Little responded Tuesday on Twitter: "I would never hurt someone on purpose, I have the utmost respect for Kyrie! But y’all are delusional if you think this is a bad play, and id do it again. Idgaf what y’all talkin about."

In the fourth quarter, Irving lost control of the ball, leading him and Little to chase it toward the sideline. Little made a last-ditch attempt to keep the ball inbounds and made contact with Irving's left ankle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EXayjQvo7U

Little's intent appeared to be knocking the ball out of bounds to prevent the seven-time All-Star from having a fast-break layup. The Blazers led by five points at the time.

Irving's comment that there was "no place in our game" for Little's dive seems a bit over the top because it wasn't a non-traditional basketball play. But his general frustration was understandable to an extent because he was fortunate to avoid a serious ankle injury given the way he landed.

Irving and Little may have an opportunity to discuss the matter personally when the Nets host the Blazers at Barclays Center on March 18.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro and Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic were both ejected after an altercation near the end of Miami's 115-109 road win on Wednesday evening.

Nurkic swung on Herro 😳

Blazers-Heat getting chippy https://t.co/joVa5cwopk

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 6, 2022

The Blazers had the ball down 112-102 with one minute remaining. Nurkic set a hard screen on Herro to free wing Norman Powell's drive to the lane.

Herro, who tumbled to the floor, didn't take kindly to the pick and reacted by sprinting toward Nurkic and shoving him in the back.

The Blazers big man then threw a left hand at Herro's face with Heat wing Caleb Martin trying to hold the center back.

The two players were quickly separated by players and referees before being ejected from the game.

When the matchup resumed, Powell hit two free throws as a result of a shooting foul that occurred in conjunction with the Herro-Nurkic dust-up.

Powell got hot down the stretch with seven points in the final minute, including a pair of free throws to cut the Miami lead to 113-109, but the Heat held on for the win.