Trail Blazers (9-9), Pelicans (6-11)
PORTLAND – Defense had been a prominent factor in New Orleans' recent success, highlighted by holding its two most recent opponents under 100 points during a four-game win streak. That aspect of the game faltered a bit Friday in one of the Pelicans' least hospitable road stops, however, as Portland ended NOLA's string of victories. The Trail Blazers already had 100 points by the end of the third quarter, putting the Pelicans in a big hole they couldn't overcome despite a few late rallies. The hosts went on to win for the 11th consecutive time in Moda Center against New Orleans, a run that dates back to early in the 2010-11 season. New Orleans will close its two-game Oregon/Texas road trip Sunday night when it visits Dallas.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
New Orleans came up empty on a two-shot trip to the foul line, then Portland's Mason Plumlee set up Ed Davis for a two-hand slam and 115-101 lead with roughly 3:00 remaining. The Pelicans trailed 100-83 entering the final quarter, but put together a run to pull within striking distance in the fourth. However, Portland turned aside New Orleans in the final minutes with a series of hoops.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Anthony Davis produced another one of his All-NBA performances, rolling to 31 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. He entered Friday as the NBA's second-leading scorer and top shot-blocker, but increased his average in rejections and came within 0.3 of his scoring standard. Davis finished 10/17 from the field, while having a slightly below average night on free throws (9/13). He also connected on 2/4 three-pointers and tallied at least six points in every quarter.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
E'Twaun Moore joined Davis in giving the Pelicans an early lift by scoring six first-quarter points, as New Orleans went up 34-32. Moore added three three-pointers in the third period, helping prevent the Trail Blazers from completely pulling away. The starting shooting guard posted 15 points on 6/11 accuracy from the field, including hitting all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.
