Despite Lillard Return, Blazers Fall to Knicks

Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports It wasn’t quite Willis Reed, Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, but Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard gave his best rendition during a Sunday afternoon 110-99 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Limping and grimacing his way through, Lillard led an already injury-riddled Blazers crew in a valiant defeat at the end of a six-game road trip with a gritty 29-point performance.

If not for the HD quality and lack of fans, one might’ve thought Clyde Drexler and Patrick Ewing were on their way out of the tunnel, short-shorts and all in the first quarter. On one end, the New York Knicks sought comfort through the in-between game, punishing the…