The Portland Trail Blazers stared down the San Antonio Spurs without their NBA MVP candidate Damian Lillard on Friday night, desperate for a win to break up a tough stretch of the schedule. Portland alternated between sublime brilliance and futility for much of the matchup. Norman Powell and CJ McCollum filled Lillard’s absence with 22 and 29 points, respectively, but nobody else on the roster could score. Fortunately, defense came through. After allowing the Spurs to run roughshod through most of the game, the Blazers made critical defensive stands in the late minutes of the fourth quarter, allowing them to squeak out a 107-106 win.
Defense Brings Trail Blazers Victory Against Spurs
