PORTLAND -- The Portland Trail Blazers jumped out to a huge first-quarter lead versus the Orlando Magic and proceeded to keep the Eastern Conference opponent at arm's length for the rest of the evening on the way to a 118-103 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 19,393 Friday night at the Moda Center.
"I thought we played well," said Damian Lillard. "I thought we started the game well. Obviously they made a run, but I thought we expected it. The way we handled it and kind of got back on top of things, we rode it out. We had a pretty complete game so I was happy with how we played."
The Trail Blazers are now 13-16 overall and 7-6 at home, making it the first time this season that they've surpassed the .500 mark at the Moda Center. The win is Portland's third straight and is their sixth consecutive victory versus the Magic at home.
Portland now sits in eighth in the Western Conference standings.
After a competitive first few minutes Friday night, the Trail Blazers went on a 14-0 run starting midway through the first to take an emphatic 24-9 lead after a Damian Lillard three-pointer with 2:50 to play in the quarter.
A D.J. Augustin 11-footer ended nearly over a five minute stretch in which the Magic failed to score, though Lillard and Skal Labissiere would respond with seven-straight to push the lead to 20 with under 30 seconds to play in the quarter.
But the Magic weren't ready to pack it in. With the Blazers starting the second quarter with CJ McCollum and four bench players, the Magic went on a 14-2 run to cut Portland's lead to 33-27 with nine minutes to play in the first half.
The close game wouldn't last. After Terrence Ross' 17-foot jumper pulled the Magic to within seven, Portland went 7-0 to push the advantage back to double digits. Orlando got the lead down to single digits for what would be the last time of the evening after an Evan Fournier 18-footer with 4:06 to play in the first half.
But again, Portland would go on a mini run, this time going 5-0, to pad their cushion. The Trail Blazers would take a 57-44 lead into the intermission and that would be about the end of truly competitive play.
"It's a game of runs," said Lillard. "These guys aren't NBA players for no reason and you can't expect to shut a team out. They're going to have some moments and it's about how you respond to those moments, how responsible you can be and how you can put an end to it and cary on with what was working for you. I thought we did a good job of that."
The Magic trimmed the lead to nine early in the second half after a Nikola Vucevic hook with 10:22 to play in the third, but Lillard, who went 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-8 from three for 16 points in the third quarter along, would hit a 26-foot three pointer less than 20 seconds later to push the lead back to 12, and that would be the last time the game was within single digits.
The only real mystery from there on was whether Carmelo Anthony, who left the game in the second quarter with a left knee contusion, would return. He did not.
"First quarter I just felt it starting to tighten up," said Anthony. "Came back in the second quarter and on that three, I felt it. Then running back, trying to get back on (defense), I felt it after that."
Anthony said he didn't think the injury was serious and that he hoped to play Saturday night versus the Timberwolves.
TOP PERFORMERS
Damian Lillard led all scorers with 36 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field and 7-of-13 shooting from three, six assists and three rebounds in 36 minutes. He now has nine games with 30+ points are this season, tied for seventh-most in the NBA.
CJ McCollum also broke that barrier with 31 points to go with a season-high eight rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. It was McCollum’s third straight game with at least 30 points.
Hassan Whiteside had a double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds, though his five blocks were probably his most useful contribution, as he, along with Carmelo Anthony, kept the Magic from attempting shots in the paint on multiple occasions.
Kent Bazemore finished with 11 points, four rebounds and a block and Skal Labissiere added eight points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 23 minutes.
The Magic had six players finish in double figures led by 23 points from Nikola Vucevic, who Aldo had 12 rebounds for the double-double.
NOTABLE
• The Trail Blazers shot 42-of-84 (50.0%) from the field, while Orlando was 39-of-106 (36.8%). It was the seventh time this season Portland has shot 50% or better.
• Portland recorded 11 blocks, while Orlando had five. The Trail Blazers 11 blocks tied a season-high.
• The Trail Blazers won their third straight game, matching the longest winning streak of the season.
• The Trail Blazers outscored the Magic 21-11 in transition.
• Portland outrebounded Orlando, 54-48. Orlando had a season-high 18 offensive rebounds.
• Orlando tied a season-high with 14 steals.
QUOTABLE
"There’s not much you can do. He’s a hell of a player, he’ll come off a screen and he’s hitting those threes." -- Nicola Vucevic on Damian Lillard
HIGHLIGHTS
NEXT UP
With the Magic dispatched, the Trail Blazers have less than 24 hours before returning to the Moda Center to host the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second game of an all-home back-to-back. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.