Short-handed Warriors fade late in loss to Portland

PORTLAND, Oregon - CJ McCollum scored 30 points, Damian Lillard added 28 and the Portland Trail Blazers won their ninth consecutive game with a 125-108 victory against the short-handed Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

The Warriors had won seven in a row but didn't have Stephen Curry, Jordan Bell and Andre Iguodala, who were all out with injuries. Kevin Durant led Golden State with 40 points.

Portland has its longest winning streak since also winning nine in a row in 2014. The Blazers' streak started when they beat Golden State 123-117 at the Moda Center on Feb. 14, the last game before the All-Star break.

McCollum hit a 3-pointer to give the Blazers a 101-93 lead with 7:20 left. McCollum added another 3 before Durant got one. Klay Thompson had a layup but Lillard answered with another 3 to make it 107-98.

Lillard's 3-pointer extended the lead to 115-103 with 2:40 to go and the Warriors could not catch up. Portland had seven players in double figures.

Curry rolled his right ankle in the first quarter of the Warriors' 110-107 victory at home over San Antonio on Thursday night.

Curry missed 11 games in December with the sprained right ankle and injured it again last Friday at Atlanta. He did not travel to Portland and Quinn Cook started in his place.

Bell, who sprained his right ankle Tuesday against Brooklyn, will be out through the weekend and re-evaluated Tuesday. Iguodala was out with a left wrist sprain for the second consecutive game.

“We've got a deep team. That's one of the hallmarks of our group the last few years,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before the game. “We've played without Steph, I think probably 15 times this year, or so, and we've gotten to know the formula. We know what to do. It's a different game but we've got to defend and take care of the ball, play a really solid game against a team that's on fire.”

Portland saw the return of Maurice Harkless, who missed three games with a left knee injury.

The Blazers pulled out front 21-14 early following Evan Turner's 3-pointer. Portland led 33-27 at the end of the first quarter, after Draymond Green's dunk didn't quite make it by the buzzer.

Portland went on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 41-27, but Golden State got within 52-50 on Kevon Looney's putback layup. Portland led 61-52 at the half. Durant led all players with 22 points while Lillard had 15.

Durant's 3-pointer and jumper gave Golden State a 77-73 lead with 4:01 left in the third. Portland re-took the lead on Ed Davis' tip-in and a trio of free throws from Lillard to make it 87-83 going into the final period.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Thompson's first 3-pointer of the game gave him 200 for the season. He now has six seasons with 200-plus 3s. ... Green was handed a tech in the second quarter. It was his 15th of the season, and one more and he gets a one-game suspension. ... Reserve center David West missed his third consecutive game with an infected cyst in his right arm.

Trail Blazers: Security at the Moda Center ejected a fan in a courtside seat who exchanged words with Durant late in the second quarter. ... Jusuf Nurkic had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his 17th double-double of the season. ... Portland wins the season series with the Warriors 2-1.