|
 "There is no explaining it," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.
"Damian had it going, so we ran it through him."
Cavs swingman Alonzo Gee was defending the 6-foot-3, 195-pound
Lillard, last year's Rookie of the Year. But instead of getting up
tight on him, his strategy was to sag off him.
"We have all the confidence in the world in Zo," Cavaliers guard
Dion Waiters said.
Lillard finished with a game-high 36 points, eight rebounds and a
season-high 10 assists.
"He's cold-blooded," Waiters said.
Lillard outplayed the 2011 Rookie of the Year, Cavs point guard
Kyrie Irving, who was no slouch. He ended with 25 points and 10
assists.
The Trail Blazers (22-4 overall, 12-2 on the road) came into the
game with the best overall record in the NBA, as well as the
league's top road mark.
They didn't disappoint.
They destroyed the Cavs (9-15) on the boards, 56-44, including an
18-13 edge on the offensive glass.
"One thing I thought we could always count on was our ability to
rebound," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "We got our behinds kicked on
the glass."
Portland power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, an early candidate for
Most Valuable Player, was a beast with 26 points and a game-high 15
rebounds.
His 18-foot jumper with 4:17 to play capped an 8-0 run for the
Blazers, giving them a 109-101 lead.
But the Cavs weren't done. Irving's three-point play with 33.8
seconds remaining narrowed the Cavs' deficit to 116-114.
The 6-11 Aldridge missed a six-foot shot in the lane with 17.9
seconds left.
Irving then penetrated to the basket and fed center Anderson
Varejao, who scored on a layup with 7.1 seconds remaining to knot
the score at 116.
Lillard, though, ended the Cavs' upset bid with a 3-pointer from the
top of the key for the game-winner.
"That was an offensive shootout by both teams," Stotts said. "They
made a great comeback to tie the game, but we keep finding a way to
win. Obviously, Damian was fantastic."
Lillard's game-winning shot impressed Brown. "He was
5 feet behind the 3-point line," Brown said. "He
hit some tough 3s. He's a very good player. He's very capable of
dribbling by you. You pick your poison."
[to top of second column] |
Irving's 3-point attempt was off the mark at the buzzer.
Waiters, the subject of trade rumors before the game, had 25
points and five assists.
"I'm playing my game," Waiters said. "I don't feed into it."
Power forward Tristan Thompson added 15 points and seven
rebounds for the Cavs, who had a four-game winning streak
snapped at The Q.
Center Andrew Bynum finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.
He didn't attempt a shot in the second half, as the Blazers
started fronting him.
Guard Jarrett Jack added 12 points, five rebounds, four assists
and two steals.
For the Blazers, shooting guard Wesley Matthews had 19 points,
while forward Nicolas Batum had 14 points and nine rebounds.
Lillard's eight 3-point field goals were a career high, while
his eight rebounds tied his career high.
"Big-time players take big-time shots," Irving said of Lillard.
"He hit one in our home. You just have to move on to the next
game. We fought to the end, had a consistent effort and that's
all you can ask for."
The Cavs scored nine unanswered points to start the fourth
period and take a 97-92 lead with 9:33 to play. But it didn't
hold up.
NOTES: The Cavs committed a season-low six turnovers. ... Their
116 points were the most in a regulation game. ...Cavaliers G
Dion Waiters disputed a story from Bleacher Report that cited
two league sources saying he wants out of Cleveland. "That's all
I've been hearing, man," Waiters said. "At the end of the day,
they keep coming up with these stories I have no idea about."
... Waiters bumped knees with Cleveland C Tyler Zeller in
practice Monday. He said his knee was fine, and he played
against the Trail Blazers. ... Portland G Mo Williams spent
three seasons in Cleveland. He was part of the Feb. 24, 2011,
deal in which the Cavaliers got the draft pick from the Los
Angeles Clippers that landed G Kyrie Irving.... Irving won
Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors on Monday. Portland
F LaMarcus Aldridge won the honor in the Western Conference for
the second consecutive week. ... Irving is a fan of Blazers G
Damian Lillard. "He's a great young point guard," Irving said.
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reserved.]
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