Lillard scores 33, Trail Blazers top Mavericks 121-118 in OT

Damian Lillard scored 33 points and the Portland Trail Blazers handed the Dallas Mavericks their sixth straight loss, 121-118 in overtime Sunday night.

Jusuf Nurkic added 10 points and 12 rebounds for his 16th double-double this season for Portland, which has won four of its last five games.

Harrison Barnes led the slumping Mavericks with 27 points. Rookie sensation Luka Doncic had 23 points and 11 rebounds, including a buzzer-beating corner 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime tied at 107.

Dallas Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP PhotoCraig Mitchelldyer)

Maurice Harkless' layup gave Portland a 114-109 lead with 2:43 to go in the extra period. DeAndre Jordan's dunk pulled the Mavs to 116-115 with under a minute left, but Lillard's layup kept Portland in front with 34.2 seconds to go and the Blazers held on.

Portland led by 14 in the third quarter but the Mavericks closed the gap in the fourth.

Barnes and Wesley Matthews made consecutive 3s to bring Dallas to 100-98 with 3:56 left. Matthews, a former Blazer, added another 3 to put Dallas up 101-100.

Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic, left, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP PhotoCraig Mitchelldyer)

After Doncic's free throw, Harkless hit a 3-pointer to put Portland back in front 103-102 with 1:42 to go. The teams traded baskets before Lillard's layup made it a three-point game.

As time expired, Doncic hit a corner 3 over Harkless' outstretched arms.

It was the fourth game of a road trip and the second half of a back-to-back for Dallas. The Mavericks lost to the Golden State Warriors 120-116 on Saturday night.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Evan Turner, left, shoots over Dallas Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP PhotoCraig Mitchelldyer)

Doncic, the NBA's leading rookie scorer, was questionable with a right hip injury but he started.

Doncic had an immediate impact with seven early points, including a tip that gave the Mavericks a 17-12 lead midway through the first quarter. Evan Turner's basket tied it at 23 as the quarter came to a close.

The Blazers went on a 16-2 run to pull in front 58-47 and led 62-52 at halftime. Portland scored 37 points in the second quarter.

Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic, right, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP PhotoCraig Mitchelldyer)

The Mavs played without Dennis Smith Jr., who has a strained right wrist. They also were without Dirk Nowitzki, who is being limited after returning from left ankle surgery that kept him out of the team's first 26 games. Nowitzki, who has appeared in five games, played 13 minutes against the Warriors and scored three points.

The Blazers were coming of a 120-90 loss on Friday night to Utah, their worst defeat at home in nearly 14 years. It snapped a three-game winning streak.

TIP-INS

Dallas Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan, left, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP PhotoCraig Mitchelldyer)

Mavericks: Dallas beat the Blazers 111-102 at home on Dec. 4. This was the second of four meetings between the teams this season.

Trail Blazers: With a 3-pointer in the first half, CJ McCollum moved past Damon Stoudamire (717) into fifth on the Blazers' career list for 3s. ... Portland's second-quarter points (37) were the most the team had scored in the period this season.

UP NEXT

Dallas Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan, back left, reacts after scoring over Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP PhotoCraig Mitchelldyer)

Mavericks: Return home to face New Orleans on Wednesday.

Trail Blazers: On the road on Christmas Day against the Utah Jazz.

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and the first on their home floor since April 26, 2011.

They can even the series with a victory at home Sunday.

Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range. Caris LeVert added 15 points and Donovan Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists.

76ERS 125, KNICKS 114

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter to lead Philadelphia to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2.

With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive.

The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor overall, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers.

NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver moved to the brink of the second round with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series..

Jamal Murray scored 22 points as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers in dominating style.

Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) makes a shot as he gets past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)