Shaedon Sharpe helps lead Blazers past Jazz to halt 6-game skid
Damian Lillard scored 30 points, rookie Shaedon Sharpe had a career-high 24 and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 127-115 on Wednesday night to stop a six-game losing streak.
Trendon Watford added a season-best 21 points for the Blazers. Portland used a 9-0 run, sparked by Kevin Knox III’s alley-oop layup midway through the fourth quarter, to pull away.
Lillard capped the spurt with a layup to make it 113-100 with 5:51 to play, and the Jazz never got it back under single digits.
“What stands out is Shaedon — his game was incredible — and Trendon continues to be consistent,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “I liked everything from the team tonight.”
Lauri Markkanen had 40 points and 12 rebounds while Kris Dunn scored 15 off the bench for Utah, which had won four of five.
The Trail Blazers (32-40) won three of four against Utah (35-37) this season but are a long shot to make the play-in tournament as they are still three games behind the Jazz for the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference standings.
“We have played well in parts of all these games (we lost), but in this league you can’t have lows like we’ve had,” Lillard said. “Tonight we played a complete game.”
The only thing that could stop Markkanen was a sore left hand that got hit on a foul late in the third quarter. The 7-footer from Finland stayed down on the court and flexed and massaged his hand before going to the line to get his 37th point.
“The X-ray was good, clean. I don’t know more about it, but we’ll see how it feels tomorrow and go from there,” Markkanen said. “Once you get going, you don’t really think about it. But then obviously at dead balls and stuff it just happens to (hurt) again.”
Markkanen had missed a game with a tight back but returned to make 10 of his 11 shots inside the arc. He managed only three points in the final quarter, though, as Portland pulled away.
“We really locked up and stopped fouling,” said Sharpe, who had four steals.
Jusuf Nurkic scored 20 for the Trail Blazers to mark his first consecutive 20-point games in two months. But the game belonged to the youngsters, Watford and Sharpe, who were thrust into the spotlight with Portland missing starters Jerami Grant (thigh bruise) and Anfernee Simons (sore foot).
“I did what the team needed me to do, which is to defend, lock up, score the ball and make plays for others,” said Sharpe, who felt like he could “just hoop” without thinking too much.
In surprising wins against Sacramento and Boston, the Jazz employed a trapping 1-3-1 zone with great success. It wasn’t nearly as disruptive against Lillard and the Blazers.
“We took advantage of it,” Lillard said. “I got to the pocket and guys made shots, guys cut and finished, got to the free-throw line and I thought that was how we won the game.”
When forced to give up the ball, Lillard found easy shots for his teammates and matched a season high with 12 assists. So the Jazz played much more traditional man-to-man defense in the second half but with similar results against the ball-moving Blazers.
"We looked a step slow kind of on everything defensively tonight,” Utah coach Will Hardy said.
The Jazz have thrived recently by taking care of the ball, but the miscues reappeared against Portland with 17 turnovers.
The last time these teams met, Lillard scored 60 points on 21-of-29 shooting with nine 3-pointers in a 134-124 win on Jan. 25. This time, he was happy to share the ball to get another victory.
“I knew they wouldn’t be in a drop coverage again. You know, that’s an easy night for me anytime teams play that type of defense. So we just found another way to win,” Lillard said.
HIGH FLYING
The Blazers said the play that really fueled their confidence was a lob from Watford to Sharpe for a thunderous dunk.
“He tells me to just put it up anywhere, so anytime I see him running on a break, it is pretty much going to be a matter of time for the oop,” Watford said.
Sharpe said those kind of plays make the game fun and easy.
“That one tonight might have been my favorite one of the year,” Watford said. "He makes me look like a really good lob passer.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.