PORTLAND -- The Minnesota Timberwolves seemingly couldn’t miss in the first half of Thursday night’s game in Portland. In the second half, that honor belonged to Trail Blazers guard/forward Allen Crabbe. The 6-6 wing in his fourth season out of Cal hit eight three-pointers, with five of those coming in the second half, to spark a rally that would ultimately lift the Trail Blazers to a 105-98 victory in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,393 at the Moda Center. “I think we struggled most of the night but the fourth quarter was terrific,” said Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts. “A lot of good defensive performances. Obviously (Crabbe’s) shooting was fantastic for us, got us back in the game.”With the win, the Trail Blazers improve to 39-40 overall and 23-15 at the Moda Center this season. More importantly, the victory extends Portland’s lead over Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference by 1.5 games with three games to play. Portland’s “magic number” (Portland wins plus Denver losses) is now two.
“I mean I love seeing a shooter get on a roll like that,” said Stotts. “The shot he hit in transition, and the way we are in transition, I’d rather pull up for threes than go to the basket.”Lillard went just 7-of-21 from the field but managed to finish within shouting distance of a triple-double, ending with 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in 36 minutes. CJ McCollum went 8-of-19 from the field for 18 points and five assists in 35 minutes. Al-Farouq Aminu, who started at center for the second consecutive game, went 4-of-11 from the field and 4-of-7 from three for 15 points and seven rebounds in 39 minutes. The Timberwolves were led by Wiggins, who went 14-of-27 from the field for 36 points and eight rebounds in 39 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds. Next up, the Trail Blazers continue their season-ending homestand by hosting the Utah Jazz Saturday at the Moda Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 pm.