Warriors vs. Trail Blazers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season

Center Rudy Gobert (10.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.4 blocks overall) has recorded a double-double in five consecutive outings.ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (28-27): Lillard is averaging 27.1 points and 8.6 assists during the 9-1 run by Portland, but Friday’s performance was special. But Portland’s Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum answered in the clutch. Golden State is the top three-point shooting team in the league, knocking down 671 shots from three-point range (12.0 per game). Portland has won four straight and 14 of 17.

Derrick Favors paced the Jazz with 22 points and eight rebounds. The last player to score 50-plus points, dish five-plus assists and register five-plus steals was Allen Iverson in 2005.

Utah lost for the third time in four games and is in ninth place in the West.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder reflected back on the Jazz’s home debut when the team was shocked by Portland, 108-92, and how Lillard and McCollum went off for a combined 62 points in that loss. “For us, we’ve just got to be ready to compete”. Favors scored for Utah at the other end, then McCollum made two more free throws to clinch the win. 500 team and in the Playoff race.

Stephen Curry scored 31 points for the Warriors as they suffered just a fourth defeat of the campaign. The Blazers were 7-for-20 from the field with eight turnovers in the quarter. Not because the Warriors had buried another opponent but because the Warriors were hopelessly behind the Trail Blazers. “We’re pretty familiar with each other”, Utah coach Quin Snyder said…. “You’ve got to be willing to face that challenge and tonight I was ready”.

Jamal Crawford scored 25 points off the bench, Chris Paul added 24 and DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 21 rebounds for the Clippers.

“We dug ourselves a hole to start the season, giving up some games late, but we stuck with it, we kept going, we kept working”, Lillard said. “He’s changing every game for us”. With under nine minutes to play in the third quarter of that game, Lillard had just nine points, was shooting 3-of-9 from the field, and looked like a guy feeling the effects of a back-to-back.

“If one gets going, a team can load up on him”, Lillard said of Portland’s 1-2 punch. “It is a similar system to what we ran in Atlanta”. Hayward tied it again at 109-109 on a short jumper with 29 seconds to play, but Lillard’s driving layup made it 111-109 with 20.4 seconds to go.

Portland had a strong game on the glass, collecting 23 offensive boards and outrebounding the Jazz 48-38. He annihilated his previous career high of 43 points, set against the Spurs on December 19, 2014.

Portland was coming off a 137-105 victory over Golden State.

Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala, left, dunks over Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Friday, Feb. 19, 2016. The Jazz are allowing an average of 101.0 points per game to the Blazers this season, 103.5 point with Lillard in the lineup because of Utah’s defensive deficiencies in the backcourt. The Blazer have not been as solid, especially at the beginning of the year, but have improved greatly during their recent hot streak.

Jazz: Mack and Hayward were collegiate teammates for two seasons at Butler (2008-10), losing to Duke in the 2010 national championship game….