MILWAUKEE -- Severely undermanned Thursday night versus the Bucks, the Trail Blazers had to rely on three-point shooting and teamwork to give themselves even a chance of hanging with the Bucks Thursday night in Milwaukee.
The gambit almost worked.
Playing without Damian Lillard (back spasm) and Hassan Whiteside (right hip), the Blazers shot 44 percent from three and tallied 32 assists on 50 made shots and went on to make it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter before falling 137-129 to the Bucks in front of a sellout crowd of 17,385 Thursday night at Fizerv Forum.