Tuesday night won’t be one for the memory banks of the Rip City faithful. In a particularly one-sided 48 minutes at Moda Center, the Portland Blazers fell, 113-88, to the visiting Chicago Bulls.
Chicago started the game on a 10-0 run to which the Blazers never recovered as the Bulls’ built their lead to as many as 26 in the third quarter. A comeback was never in the cards thanks to a cold shooting night leaving the home team to convert just 35% from the field and 9-of-34 from behind the three-point line in the defeat. Damian Lillard led Portland with 19 points to go with CJ McCollum’s 17 on the night. In the lone bright spot for the Trail Blazers, the Portland bench outscored Chicago, 38-24, highlighted by Allen Crabbe’s 15 points and Ed Davis’ nine-point, nine-rebound effort.
Playing without point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed Tuesday’s contest with a left a ankle sprain, All-Star forward Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. Veteran guard Dwyane Wade recorded 19 points, five rebounds and five assists in the Chicago victory.
The loss drops the Portland to 11-5 on the season as the Blazers have beaten just one team over .500 thus far in 2016-17.
Up next, the Blazers head to Houston to begin a five-game road trip against the Rockets on Thursday (5pm / CSNNW). The Bulls continue their Western Conference jaunt with a trip to Utah to play the Jazz Thursday evening.
