PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) CJ McCollum scored 33 points and the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away in the final quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 127-116 on Wednesday night.
Hassan Whiteside added 22 points and 16 rebounds, as well as a career-high seven assists. Damian Lillard had 24 points and 10 assists in Portland’s third straight win at the Moda Center.
Carmelo Anthony finished with 20 points, his fourth game with 20 or more in seven games with the Blazers.
Richaun Holmes had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings.
Kent Bazemore’s corner 3-pointer gave the Blazers a 108-101 lead early in the final quarter. Lillard’s 31-footer made it 113-105 with 6:46 left.
Bazemore had another 3-pointer that gave the Blazers their biggest lead of the game to that point, 119-108 with 4:28 remaining.
The Blazers were playing the second of a back-to-back. They lost on the road to the Clippers 117-97 on Tuesday night, snapping a three-game winning streak.
Portland has been boosted by the addition of Anthony, who was chosen the Western Conference player of the week for averaging 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists over the three-game winning streak.
Anthony’s strong return after being out of the NBA for more than a year has been a surprise to some. But the 10-time All-Star seems to have meshed well in Portland.
Sacramento was without guard Bogdan Bogdanovic because of a knee contusion. He’s also dealing with a hamstring injury. Bogdanovic is averaging 14.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season.
A 10-0 run at the end of the first quarter put the Kings up 28-26 but Anthony’s jumper ended it. Buddy Hield had 14 points as Sacramento closed out the period ahead 35-30.
McCollum made four straight field goals for 10 points, pulling Portland within 43-42.
The Blazers had a 66-64 lead at the half, led by McCollum with 23 points. He also had career-high four blocks, all in the first half.
McCollum’s 3-pointer gave the Blazers an 83-80 lead. Anthony added another 3 to extend it.
Sacramento kept kept it close and briefly re-took the lead, but Portland led 100-95 heading into the final quarter.
Portland has won 12 straight over the Kings at the Moda Center.
It was the third of four meetings between the teams this season. They split the previous two.
TIP-INS
Kings: The Kings continue to play without De’Aaron Fox (ankle) and Marvin Bagley III (thumb), although Bagley is expected to return soon. … It was the first of a four-game road trip for the Kings, who play their next three in Texas. … Hield finished with 23 points.
Trail Blazers: It was the start of a four-game homestand for Portland. … Whiteside’s double-double was his 13th this season. … McCollum has had 20-plus points in 10 straight games, matching the longest streak of his career. … Anfernee Simons fouled out with 11:17 left in the game.
UP NEXT
Kings: Visit San Antonio on Friday night.
Trail Blazers: Host the L.A. Lakers on Friday night.
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
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