Enes Kanter added 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Blazers, who have won five of their last six. But Portland got some bad news when guard CJ McCollum left the game at halftime because of a left foot sprain.

Trae Young had 26 points and 11 assists, while Clint Capela added 25 points and 15 rebounds for Atlanta, which was playing the second of a back-to-back following a 116-92 loss at Utah a night earlier.

Portland led 98-94 with just under six minutes left after trailing by as many as 16 points in the opening half. Gary Trent Jr.’s 3-pointer extended the lead to 101-96.

After Capela’s dunk, Trent hit another 3 and Lillard dished to Derrick Jones Jr. for the alley-oop to put the Blazers in front 106-98 with 3:53 left.

Atlanta chipped away, getting within 106-104 on Capela’s tip. After Lillard made free throws, Young’s layup made it 108-106 with under a minute left. Carmelo Anthony missed a pull-up jumper from out front, but Young was called for an offensive foul at the other end. After review, the call stood, and Lillard made free throws to close it out.

The Blazers were playing in their first game without big man Jusuf Nurkic, who fractured his right wrist in the third quarter of a 111-87 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Kanter started in his place.

Cam Reddish did not play because of a knee contusion. Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said before the game he was just sore and hadn’t had time to recover after Friday night’s game. Young had back tightness going into the game but started.

Lillard hit a 3-pointer that gave the Blazers an early 29-24 lead, but the Hawks answered with a 14-5 run to close the opening quarter up 38-34.

Atlanta extended the lead to 52-36 on Young’s 3-pointer as the Blazers went cold. Portland rebounded, pulling within 62-59 on Kanter’s layup.

The Hawks went into the break ahead 66-59. Capela led Atlanta with 19 points, while Lillard had 19 for Portland.

McCollum, who had 16 points in the first half, did not return for the second. It was unclear when he was hurt but it appeared that Capela stepped on his foot following a layup in the opening quarter.

Rodney Hood’s 3 pointer got the Blazers with 82-79 late in the third. Portland pulled into an 82-all tie with less than a minute left.

Portland took an 88-86 lead on Gary Trent Jr.’s layup and Anthony’s 3-pointer made it 94-90 with 7:33 left.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Heading into the game, Trae Young was averaging 8.4 assists, fourth in the NBA. … The Hawks are the league’s second-best rebounding team, averaging 48.9.

Trail Blazers: The Blazers have won three straight against the Hawks in Portland. … Lillard needs three 3-pointers to pass Kobe Bryant for the 17th on the NBA’s all-time list. He had four against the Hawks.

UP NEXT

The Hawks host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

The Trail Blazers host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

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Hood left Game 7 on Sunday against Denver after colliding with Nuggets forward Torrey Craig on a screen in the third quarter. Hood stayed down on the floor, clutching at his left knee as trainers checked on him. Hood was helped into the locker room.

He had six points in 20 minutes as the Trail Blazers beat the Nuggets 100-96 to advance.

“They checked my knee and everything was stable,” Hood said. “Major relief.”

Game 1 of the conference finals is Tuesday night at Golden State.

“Day-by-day,” Hood said. “Hopefully, the pain goes down. Hopefully, it’s feeling better by Tuesday.”

In a Game 6 win at Portland, Hood had 25 points. Nuggets coach Michael Malone referred to him as the “MVP of the series.”

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Orlando Magic vs Portland Trail Blazers
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Friday, January 13, 2017
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, KGW (Portland)
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 110, Magic 99

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers’ defense seems to be catching up to the offense, which is a good thing at the halfway point of the NBA season.

Portland (18-23) has put together strong back-to-back defensive performances heading into Friday night’s matchup with the Orlando Magic (16-24) at Moda Cener.

After limiting the Los Angeles Lakers to 38.6 percent shooting from the field in a 108-87 win at Staples Center on Tuesday, the Trail Blazers kept the Cleveland Cavaliers to a season-low 34.3 percent from the floor in a 102-86 romp on Wednesday at Moda Center.

“The last time we played them (a 137-125 loss at Cleveland on Nov. 23), they scored 80 in the first half,” point guard Damian Lillard said. “Tonight they barely got to 80 for the game. It’s a good measuring stick. Shows how much we’ve grown.”

Portland got the bulk of its offensive production against Cleveland from shooting guard CJ McCollum, who scored a game-high 27 points, and his backup, Allen Crabbe, who chipped in 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field.

McCollum has scored 25 points or more in seven straight games, the first Blazer to achieve that distinction since Clyde Drexler in 1987. Crabbe has made 25 of 34 shots from the field in the past three games.

A year ago, Portland hit the halfway point at 17-24 on its way to a 44-38 regular-season-record. The Blazers are a game ahead of that now, with hopes for a similar second-half surge.

“The last six or seven games, we’ve started playing basketball the way we want to play,” Lillard said. “We’ve continued to be true to who we are, we’ve kept working, and we’re finally starting to learn to be more consistent. It’s working in our favor.”

The Blazers believe they can begin to make a move up in the standings.

“It’s time to pick it up,” reserve forward Ed Davis said. “We have a schedule coming up where we can go eight out of 10, seven out of 10, nine out of 10 — something like that.”

There is less room for optimism for the Magic, who have lost four in a row, including the first two stops on their current six-game road trip.

“We knew it would be a tough trip,” guard Jodie Meeks said. “This isn’t the time to get down on ourselves. We have to keep competing and have faith that it will turn around. By no means are we out of the playoff hunt.”

Orlando’s 105-96 loss to the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday at Staples Center was frustrating in that the Magic led 75-73 after three quarters but was only 8 of 25 from the field in the fourth quarter.

“This is a make-or-miss league a lot of the time,” Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. “We didn’t make enough plays down the stretch.”

“It’s a game we should’ve won,” said forward Aaron Gordon, who scored a game-high 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field. “We had a couple of breakdowns here and there, a couple of lapses in defensive execution, a few too many turnovers. All those things lead to a loss.”

The Magic were hampered by the loss of power forward Serge Ibaka, who sat out the game with a sore right shoulder. Ibaka, who averages 16.6 points and 9.0 rebounds, is questionable.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Portland Trail Blazers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Orego

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), KGW (Portland)
PREDICTION: Cavaliers 116, Trail Blazers 103

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers will be coming into Wednesday night’s Moda Center matchup with different mindsets after opposite results on Tuesday.

The Trail Blazers outscored the Los Angeles Lakers 53-30 in the second half en route to a 108-87 victory Tuesday night at Staples Center.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, fell behind early and never recovered in a 100-92 loss to Utah at EnergySolutions Arena.

CJ McCollum topped the 20-point mark for the eighth straight game with a game-high 25 points for Portland (17-23), which beat the Lakers for the 10th consecutive time.

“I’ve been playing pretty efficiently over that stretch,” McCollum said. “I’m being aggressive, trying to make the right moves to help my team win.”

Damian Lillard scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half, most of them after a third-quarter altercation with the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell that earned technical fouls for both players. Lillard was 1 for 10 from the field in the first half and 6 for 11 after intermission.

“You should always let sleeping dogs lie,” Portland forward Ed Davis said. “They woke him up. Bad move by them.”

The Blazers, who held the Lakers to 12 points in the third quarter. It was a season-low for any quarter by the Lakers and a season low for any quarter by a Blazer opponent.

“We did a good job of defending without fouling and getting back into transition to eliminate their easy baskets,” McCollum said. “That was the difference in the game.”

McCollum said he is looking forward to the Cavaliers’ annual visit to Portland.

“We’re both come off back-to-backs,” he said. “Cleveland is a very good team. We just have to take advantage of our home crowd and try to put on a show. It is going to be mind over matter.”

The Cavaliers (28-9) are 2-1 to start their six-game road trip, but coach Tyron Lue is not pleased with how they’re taking care of the ball. They had 20 turnovers in a Sunday win over Phoenix and 18 in the setback at Utah.

“If you turn the basketball over and you’re taking bad shots … if you don’t play the right way, it can come back to bite you,” Lue said.

The last time the Blazers and Cavaliers met up, Cleveland’s Kevin Love had a career game in a 137-125 victory Nov. 23 at Quicken Loans Arena. The Portland native scored 40 points, sinking 8 of 12 from 3-point range. Love had 34 points in the first quarter — three shy of Klay Thompson’s NBA record for points in any quarter — sinking 11 of 14 shots, including 8 of 10 from 3-point land. Love outscored the Blazers 34-31 during the Cavs’ 46-point first quarter.

Kyle Korver made his debut in a Cleveland uniform Tuesday night at Utah without the benefit of a practice or shootaround. The veteran guard, acquired Monday in a trade with Atlanta, was 0 for 2 on 3-point attempts and scored two points on 1-for-5 shooting.

Said teammate LeBron James: “The first thing I told him was, ‘If you want to fit in, shoot the ball every time you get it. Shoot it as soon as it touches your hands. Shoot it. We don’t care.'”

James said five Cavs have the “ultra green light” to shoot: Korver, Love, J.R. Smith, Channing Frye and James Jones.

“Then we got a green light for Kyrie (Irving), and a flashing light for myself,” James said.

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Detroit Pistons vs. Portland Trail Blazers
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 7, 2017
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, CSN Northwest (Portland)
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 108, Pistons 101

Oddsmakers currently have the Trail Blazers listed as 3-point favorites versus the Pistons, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Damian Lillard won’t cure all the ills that plagued the Portland Trail Blazers over the past month, but the All-Star point guard’s return after missing five games with a sprained left ankle in the Trail Blazers’ 118-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night was a welcome sight for his coaches and teammates.

“It’s always good to have your best player out there,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said after Lillard contributed 21 points and 10 assists to the win over the Lakers.

After playing 36 minutes against the Lakers, Lillard said he will be good to go Saturday night, when the Blazers (16-22) play host to the Detroit Pistons (17-21) at Moda Center.

Lillard missed seven games with an Achilles tendon injury last season.

“I didn’t prepare as well as I needed to come back, and it took a few games to get my rhythm and wind back,” he said. “This time, I did a lot of conditioning and individual workouts leading up to tonight. I felt good out there.”

C.J. McCollum, who had gone for 43 and 35 points in the last two games while running the point in Lillard’s absence, moved back to his normal shooting guard position and collected 27 points and seven assists in Thursday’s win.

“Makes the game much easier when Dame’s on the floor,” said McCollum, who was 11 for 21 from the field but only 3 for 11 from 3-point range. “The defense can’t key in on me as much when he’s out there.”

Lillard’s plus/minus rating against the Lakers was plus-28, far better than that of any other player in the game.

“We were really good when he was on the floor,” center Mason Plumlee said. “It was good to have him back.”

The Pistons arrive in Portland off Thursday’s 115-114 victory over Charlotte, in which the Hornets roared back with a 44-point fourth quarter to nearly steal a win. Marco Bellinelli’s 3-point bank shot was just a split second after the buzzer as Detroit nearly lost despite leading by 19 points with 10 minutes left.

“We played a great three quarters,” Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said afterward. “I’ll talk about that.”

Van Gundy also talked about Boban Marjanovic, who came out of nowhere with a season high in points (15) and a career high in rebounds (19) in 22 minutes off the bench. The 7-3, 290-pound Serbian — given an opportunity with backup center Aron Baynes out with an ankle sprain and starter Andre Drummond in foul trouble — totaled seven points and seven rebounds in the previous seven games. Marjanovic had only 35 points and 26 rebounds all season entering Thursday.

“A great, great, great effort, on the boards and everything else,” Van Gundy said. “The biggest reason that game got close was I took him out for a rest. I should have left him in there, as tired as he was. Probably the game would have been over. He was tremendous.”

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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, KGW (Portland), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
PREDICTION: Warriors 124, Trail Blazers 103

Oddsmakers currently have the Warriors listed as 16-point favorites versus the Trail Blazers, while the game’s total has not yet been posted.

OAKLAND, Calif. — The calendar has flipped, and so, too, have the fortunes of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Or so they hope.

The Trail Blazers, struggling as the calendar year 2016 came to a close, will look for a second straight victory in 2017 when they visit the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

Considered an up-and-comer after upsetting the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs last season before battling the Warriors through five tough games in the Western semifinals, the Trail Blazers ranked among the league’s biggest disappointments through December. Portland has lost 11 of 13 to drop to 14-21.

If 14-21 sounds familiar, that’s because it’s exactly where the Trail Blazers stood a year earlier. Portland righted the ship with an 8-5 January en route to a 44-38 final record and a No. 5 playoff seeding.

Portland, now 15-21, hopes a 95-89 win at Minnesota on New Year’s Day propels it in the same direction this season.

The 89 points allowed to the Timberwolves marked the fourth time in the last six games that the Trail Blazers have held an opponent under 100. That happened only 25 times in the first 30 games.

The club has embraced a more aggressive defensive game plan, versatile forward Al-Farouq Aminu insisted in the wake of the Minnesota win.

“The more you win with something, the more comfort level you have with it,” he noted. “If you’re not getting a win, you’re not going to want to do it again, even if it was effective. Now that we’re getting wins when we are doing it just makes you more eager to do it.”

The Trail Blazers surely need to try something new against the Warriors. Golden State has burned Portland for two of its five highest outputs this season in 127-104 and 135-90 thumpings.

The Warriors have attacked the Portland defense from every angle, with Kevin Durant averaging 27.0 points, Stephen Curry burying 10 3-pointers and Draymond Green contributing 10.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists per win.

Golden State (30-5) enters the game with a full head of steam, having won 10 of 11 by averaging 115.7 points per game.

The Warriors’ depth of talent was on full display Monday in their 127-119 home win over Denver. Six players scored in double figures, including Green, who recorded a 15-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double.

“That’s kind of who we are,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the balanced attack. “A lot of people sharing the ball and sharing the shots. KD (Durant) and Klay (Thompson) with 19 (points), and Steph with 18. They have really figured out how to play together. When to attack and when to defer. It’s great so see.”

The Warriors have opened a five-game homestand with wins over Toronto, Dallas and Denver.

Portland, meanwhile, has been off since Sunday’s win at Minnesota. The Trail Blazers return to Oregon on Thursday night to begin a stretch of four of five at home, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Monday, December 12, 2016
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), CSN California (Sacramento)
PREDICTION: Kings 103, Lakers 96

Oddsmakers currently have the Clippers listed as 10-point favorites versus the Trail Blazers, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.

LOS ANGELES — Blowing fourth-quarter leads have cost the Portland Trail Blazers during their current five-game journey.

The Trail Blazers will attempt to end their road woes when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at Staples Center.

In Saturday’s 118-111 defeat to the Indiana Pacers, the Trail Blazers (12-13) gave up an eight-point advantage in the fourth quarter when their offense abandoned them. Portland, which at one point led the Pacers by 20, managed a season-low 13 points in the final quarter while the Pacers scored 28 as the Trail Blazers stumbled to their third consecutive setback.

“This wasn’t a normal loss,” said Portland guard CJ McCollum, who finished with 34 points, according to The Oregonian. “We’ve had a lot of these games we should win, games we’re up double digits and they make more plays than us down the stretch, they make more hustle plays. They make aggressive moves toward the basket, they get fouls. They finish the game and we don’t.”

Portland, which is 1-3 on the swing, also was unable to finish in back-to-back losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday and Thursday. Against the Grizzlies, the Trail Blazers surrendered a 13-point edge in the fourth.

“Another tough loss,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts told The Oregonian. “That’s three games in a row where our offense kind of let us down when we needed it.”

Starting power forward Al-Farouq Aminu sat out the Indiana game with a back contusion. His status for Monday’s contest is unknown.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin (sore right knee) is expected to return to face the Blazers. Griffin was held out mainly for precautionary reasons Saturday when the Clippers roasted the New Orleans Pelicans 133-105. The Pelicans played without Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday.

Los Angeles point guard Chris Paul delivered a performance for the ages, scoring 20 points and recording 20 assists with no turnovers. Paul also snatched five rebounds.

That helped the Clippers (17-7) end a two-game losing streak.

“We have to build on this,” said Clippers guard J.J. Redick, who had 16 points against New Orleans. “We are trying to be more consistent. We started the season consistently. We were playing a certain way almost every night and we have to get back to that. We haven’t done that the last two weeks and we are more than capable of doing it.”

Los Angeles started the season with a 14-2 mark, but dropped five of seven before pounding the Pelicans. Despite a pair of wins already in hand against the Blazers this season, the Clippers expect a stiffer test Monday.

“The Trail Blazers are a great team,” Redick said. “They beat us last year in the playoffs. If we move the ball like we did (Saturday), I think we are going to score.”

The availability of Clippers guard Austin Rivers has yet to be determined. Rivers, who started for Griffin against the Pelicans, took a hard shot to the face in the third quarter from New Orleans forward Terrence Jones. Rivers was treated and returned to the game for 46 seconds in the fourth quarter before team officials became concerned the blow had a delayed impact.

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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), FSN Southeast (Memphis)
PREDICTION: Grizzlies 102, Trail Blazers 97

Oddsmakers currently have the Trail Blazers listed as 1-point favorites versus the Grizzlies, while the game’s total is sitting at 205.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Zach Randolph is back with the Memphis Grizzlies, just as his late mother would have wanted.

The veteran power forward returned to the team Tuesday after a seven-game absence following the death of Mae Randolph on Thanksgiving Day. He came off the bench for 12 points and 14 rebounds in a 96-91 victory over Philadelphia, drawing a standing ovation when he entered the game in the second quarter.

“I heard it,” Randolph told reporters afterward. “I appreciate the city and the love and support of the organization. It’s meant a lot for the city to be behind me.”

Randolph and his mother were very close. He grew up in a single-parent household in Marion, Ind.

“My mom was my father, too,” Randolph said. “My mom was all I had. She was the rock of the family. It’s tough, but I’m going to continue to go hard for her, and leave it all out there, and do it for her.”

“It’s important to get back to working. This is what my mother would want me to do. Don’t sit around and be sad. So I’m doing it for her.”

Memphis coach David Fizdale was glad to regain the services of Randolph. The Grizzlies, 15-8 heading into Thursday night’s matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers at FedEx Forum, have been shorthanded for some time. Veteran point guard Mike Conley is out for at least another month with a lower back injury. Small forward Chandler Parsons has been out since Nov. 18 with a knee injury that will keep him sidelined for at least another week. Also missing are small forward James Ennis (calf), shooting guard Vince Carter (hip) and forward Brandan Wright (ankle).

Even with all the wounded, the Grizzlies have won four in a row and 10 of 13. In the win over Philadelphia, rookie guard Wade Baldwin stepped up with a season-high 11 points and forward JaMychal Green had his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Grizzlies will be looking to avenge a 100-94 loss to Portland on Nov. 6 in Memphis in a game in which the Blazers’ CJ McCollum matched his career high with 37 points. McCollum has averaged 24.0 points in his past five games against Memphis and has scored at least 20 in each of those contests.

The Blazers saw the end of a three-game win streak — and some improved defensive play — in a 115-107 loss at Milwaukee Wednesday night at BMO Harris Bradley Center.

The Bucks shot .519 from the field, including .417 (10 for 24) from 3-point range, and took advantage of nine fourth-quarter turnovers by the Blazers (12-11). Milwaukee scored 34 points in the third quarter and 30 in the fourth.

“We’re not a really good team right now,” Portland coach Terry Stotts told the media afterward. We’re finding our way.”

Point guard Damian Lillard continued his offensive tear with 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but scored just two points in the fourth quarter.

“We weren’t as sharp as we needed to be on some possessions,” Lillard said. “When you’re against a team like that, with that kind of size and length, it’s going to lead to turnovers.”

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Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, December 5, 2016
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), CSN Chicago
PREDICTION: Bulls 115, Trail Blazers 102

Chicago ripped Portland 113-88 on Nov. 15 and showed off its potential in a 111-105 home win over the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. The Bulls failed to keep up the momentum on the second night of a back-to-back with Dwyane Wade sitting out to rest and ended up handing the Dallas Mavericks their fourth win in a 107-82 thrashing. The Trail Blazers are coming off a 3-1 homestand and managed to win for the first time this season without scoring 100 points in a 99-92 triumph over Miami on Saturday. “We get stops, we get more physical, we come up with rebounds and loose balls and we just find a way,” Portland star Damian Lillard told reporters. “When you’ve got to gut one out like that and find a way when your offense isn’t there, I think that shows great character for our team and it shows growth. It shows that we’re growing.”

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (11-10): Portland is beginning a stretch of eight of nine on the road and is leaving with some confidence after back-to-back wins. “It was good to get these last two wins here at home and go into the road trip with some momentum,” Blazers guard Allen Crabbe told the team’s website. “We know how difficult it is to win but I feel like if we just continue to focus on what we did all week, which is defense, if we carry that over, we’ll be in a good position.” Crabbe averaged 15.5 points in the last two games to reach double figures in scoring in back-to-back contests for the first time since October.

ABOUT THE BULLS (11-8): Chicago is waiting for a Crabbe-like breakout from forward Nikola Mirotic, who failed to score in double figures in any of the last four games and bottomed out with a scoreless effort on 0-of-4 shooting on Saturday. “Make sure he understands that we’re here with him,” Bulls guard Jimmy Butler told reporters of how the team is helping Mirotic. “He is still a part of this organization, and we need him on this team. … We need Niko to play, man. And when he starts thinking, it only gets worse. When you just play, great things happen.” Mirotic is 0-of-11 from 3-point range in the last three games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Blazers SF Al-Farouq Aminu (calf) missed the last 13 games but returned to practice last week and is nearing a return.

2. Bulls G Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double on Friday but slumped to two points, two rebounds and two assists on Saturday.

3. The visiting team took each of the last three in the series, with Portland earning a 103-95 win in its last trip to Chicago on Feb. 27.

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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Miami Heat
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 3, 2016
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Miami), CSN Northwest (Portland)
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 113, Heat 107

PORTLAND, Ore. — Erik Spoelstra knows what it’s like to win NBA championships (twice) and what it’s like to miss the playoffs.

While the Miami Heat aren’t in position to soon claim another NBA title, Spoelstra would like to think they’re heading in the right direction.

“It’s been an up-and-down season, but I really like this group we have,” said the ninth-year head coach, whose Heat are 7-12 but won two in a row heading into Saturday night’s matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. “We have a lot of talented, exciting young players (with whom) we’re building and developing our Heat culture.

“We knew what we were getting into at the start the season (with the loss of Dwyane Wade). The record isn’t what we want it to be, but that hasn’t tempered the optimism or excitement about the group moving forward.”

Miami — which is 5-4 in its last nine games after a 2-8 start — ranks on the low end in the NBA in most offensive categories, including scoring (28th), field-goal percentage (27th), 3-point percentage (25th) and free-throw percentage (30th). The Heat are improving, though, averaging 107 points the past four games, including a 111-110 win at Utah on Thursday night.

“It has taken a little bit of time with the offense,” Spoelstra told the Portland Tribune. “The guys are getting more comfortable, more confident.”

Center Hassan Whiteside ranks among the top 10 in the league in rebounds (first, 15.1), blocked shots (third, 2.56) and field-goal percentage (.559, ninth) while averaging a team-high 17.7 points.

“I’ve really enjoyed watching Hassan embrace the responsibility of being a great player,” Spoelstra said. “What he’s learning now is the responsibility on all levels to impact winning. That’s with a commitment every single day to attention to detail, work ethic and mental approach that the entire locker room sees.”

The Trail Blazers’ offense was in high gear in a 131-109 victory over Indiana Wednesday night. But it was improved effort at the defensive end the players wanted to talk about.

“When we play well defensively — when we fly around, have active hands, get deflections — we can get out and run,” said point guard Damian Lillard, who ranks sixth in the NBA in scoring with a 28.2-point average. “It shows the kind of shots we can get and the kind of game we can play.”

Portland (10-10) reached a season high in points going up against an Indiana team that came in leading the league in steals (9.6) and opponents’ turnovers (16.9), was second in opponents’ 3-point percentage (.328) and third in blocked shots (6.2). Against the Blazers, the Pacers had three steals, forced seven turnovers, allowed the Blazers to shoot .375 from 3-point range and blocked four shots. The seven giveaways were a season low for Portland.

“When you have a game with seven turnovers against a team like that, it shows you can in with the right mentality,” Lillard told the Portland Tribune.

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