Trail Blazers 105, Cavaliers 76: Cavs routed on the road

Portland’s 34-point third-quarter lead is its largest in any game this season. He has topped 25 points in seven of those games.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Noah Vonleh (right) knocks the ball away from Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015.

Portland’s Damian Lillard missed his third consecutive game because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Every point counts, especially for a struggling team, so staying focused at the line could go a long way moving forward. Defensively, the Trail Blazers yield 103.1 points against the opposing teams. We’re playing at home.

Irving was still on the mend when the two clubs faced off earlier this month, but he’ll be ready to rumble on Saturday night. The Trailblazers are the team just above the Pelicans in the Western Conference standings, so, 13th compared to 14th, and a Pelicans win will place the Pelicans just a half-game behind the Blazers. Holiday was superb, scoring 19 points and handing out five assists in 21 minutes with no turnovers. But his three misses from the stripe in the closing moments will likely have him sufficiently surly for Saturday’s matchup in Portland.

Anthony Davis once again led the way for the Pels with a game-high 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

He is getting everywhere on the floor that he wants to, and even when he can’t get to a great spot, he has consistently been able to bail out the offense with high difficulty shots, whether they be runners off the glass or Steph Curry-range three pointers.

Not many teams have an answer for the King, and the rebuilding Blazers are certainly on that list. The team had Christmas eve and Christmas day off before they had to report back to the Moda Center where they delivered an unlikely an emphatic victory that few could have predicted.

New arrival Ish Smith, playing his first game with the Philadelphia 76ers, had 14 points and five assists while directing the league’s stragglers to their first road win of the season – a 111-104 triumph over the Suns in Phoenix that put Philadelphia’s record at 2-30. New Orleans’ lowest average for a full season is 9.8 in 2008-09.

“I think everybody can see how dynamic a player Ish is”, 76ers coach Brett Brown said of the point guard acquired from New Orleans on Thursday.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Gerald Henderson (9) drives against New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015, in New Orleans. Allen Crabbe scored 21 of his career-high 26 points during the first half to lead the Blazers (12-20) to their most lopsided win of the season. Now it’s Kevin Love’s turn to have a big night in his annual return to the Pacific Northwest – where he starred at Lake Oswego before a prolific collegiate career at UCLA. McCollum contributed 24 points and hit 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Kyle Lowry scored 13 of his 16 points in the second quarter and Ross added 10 as the Raptors led 56-52 at the half. If the Cavaliers are to rebound from a tough loss to start the trip, they’ll need Love to rediscover the shooting stroke that he displayed earlier this season.