Field Level Media
Mar 26, 2019
Jusuf Nurkic scored 32 points and had a game-high 16 rebounds to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 148-144 double-overtime victory Monday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.
But Nurkic suffered a serious left leg injury with 2:22 left in the second overtime when fouled while going for an offensive rebound. He was taken off on a stretcher and then to a local hospital.
Damian Lillard added 31 points and a game-leading 12 assists for the Blazers, who clinched an NBA playoff spot for the sixth year in a row. In reserve, Seth Curry scored 20 points and Rodney Hood 18 as Portland completed a homestand 4-0.
D'Angelo Russell scored 39 points and had nine rebounds and eight assists to pace the Nets. Spencer Dinwiddie led three New Jersey subs in double figures with 22 points.
After Nurkic's injury, Anfernee Simons came off the bench and made two free throws for a 136-132 lead. The Nets committed back-to-back turnovers, then missed a long 3-point try. Hood hit a 3 for a 139-132 lead with 59.1 seconds to go, and the Blazers nursed their lead the rest of the way.
Al-Farouq Aminu's two free throws with 19.1 seconds remaining gave Portland a 146-142 lead. Joe Harris made two foul shots for New Jersey with 13.1 seconds left. Lillard converted a pair at the line with 8.7 seconds left for a 148-144 lead. New Jersey missed a 3, and time ran out.
The teams were close in shooting from the field. Overall, New Jersey made 47.6 percent and Portland 43.8 percent. On 3-pointers, the Nets were 15 of 42, the Blazers 14 of 45. At the free-throw line, Brooklyn made 31 of 44 to Portland's 28 of 36.
Lillard scored 11 points in the first quarter as the Blazers built a 31-27 lead. He didn't score in the second quarter, though, and the Nets went to the break even at 62-62. Russell scored 18 points in the opening half for Brooklyn.
After three quarters, the Blazers led 95-90, and the teams had yet to be separated by more than seven points.
Brooklyn took control in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, surging into a 112-102 lead midway through. But Portland fought back to a 120-120 tie at the end of regulation, with Curry making 1 of 2 free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining.
Each team scored 12 points in the first overtime. Nurkic made two free throws with 26.5 seconds left to give the Blazers a 132-130 lead. Russell drove for a tying basket with 8.8 seconds remaining. Portland couldn't get anything better than a long 3-point try from Lillard before the buzzer, and the shot was way off the mark.
Portland won the second OT 16-12.
Before the game, Portland coach Terry Stotts announced that injured guard CJ McCollum (knee) will not accompany the team on its upcoming four-game trip for matchups with Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit and Minnesota.?
--Field Level Media