National Basketball Association
Portland 135, Minnesota 117
When: 10:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 7, 2021
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Officials: #60 James Williams, #11 Derrick Collins, #44 Brett Nansel
Attendance: N/A

Damian Lillard scored 39 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out seven assists as the Portland Trail Blazers cruised to a 135-117 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

C.J. McCollum added 20 points for the Trail Blazers, and Jusuf Nurkic had 17 points and seven rebounds. Portland (4-4) snapped a two-game skid and posted its highest-scoring effort of the season.

D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards scored 26 points apiece for the Timberwolves. Naz Reid chipped in 13 points in 16 minutes as Minnesota (2-6) dropped its sixth straight game.

The Trail Blazers set a franchise record with 47 points in the second quarter. The team's previous high for second-quarter points was 45, achieved twice, first in 1973 and then again in 2014.

Portland fell just shy of its all-time record for points in any quarter, 49, which it has reached three times but not since Nov. 25, 1990, against the San Antonio Spurs.

The monster second quarter helped Portland jump to a 75-56 lead at the half.

Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, during the first half. Nurkic (15 points) and McCollum (12) also scored in double digits in the first half.

Minnesota led 29-28 after the first quarter, but Portland seized control with its 47-27 edge in the next frame. Russell had 19 points at the half and was the Timberwolves' lone player in double digits.

The Trail Blazers scored the first eight points of the second quarter and never looked back. Rodney Hood made a running layup and then assisted on a 3-pointer by Carmelo Anthony, and McCollum knocked down a 3-pointer on the next possession to set the stage for a dominant period.

By the end of the third quarter, Portland built a 111-80 advantage. McCollum made a 3-pointer to start a 10-0 run midway through the third quarter that increased the Trail Blazers' lead to 30 points.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Minnesota   Portland
Anthony Edwards 26 Scoring Damian Lillard 39
Ricky Rubio 10 Assists Damian Lillard 7
Jarred Vanderbilt 10 Rebounds Enes Kanter 7
Anthony Edwards 5 Free Throws Made Damian Lillard 6
Ricky Rubio 5 Steals Damian Lillard 3
Ed Davis 1 Blocks Enes Kanter 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Minnesota 117 41.9 14-41 25-33 24 48 4 11 16
Portland 135 54.4 18-41 19-23 25 44 6 10 15
Upcoming Games
  • Portland will play their next game on the road against Sacramento. The Trail Blazers have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .600 after a loss.
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against San Antonio. The Timberwolves have a W/L % of .667 after a win and .000 after a loss.