The Portland Trail Blazers collected a gritty victory on Friday night, beating the Washington Wizards 124-116. But, it wasn't that cut and dry. Damian Lillard and Co. trailed by 18 at halftime and ultimately came back and took down the Wizards. In the process, they made franchise history on the road.
Via ESPN Stats & Info:
The Trail Blazers overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to top the Wizards tonight.
That's their largest halftime comeback victory on the road since Jan. 6, 1994 against the Hornets, when they won after trailing by 20 at halftime. pic.twitter.com/UFClZO9ASv
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 4, 2023
Tough. To do that at home is one thing, but to silence the road crowd is another.
The Blazers were down 69-51 at halftime and proceeded to outscore DC 73-47 in the second half, with Anfernee Simons scoring 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter alone. Portland really came alive and put in absolute work in the final two periods.
The three is what really helped Chauncey Billups' squad get back into this contest, going 17 for 41 from deep, with Simons hitting six triples on his own in the third. With the win, the Blazers are now a game above .500 at 27-26 and in the mix for a play-in spot.
There are also lots of rumors flying around that Portland could be a buyer at the trade deadline in order to strengthen their roster around Dame, who also dropped 29 Friday. Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons have been solid co-stars, but this group needs another piece. There's speculation they may go after OG Anunoby, who is on the radar of many teams.
That's now three wins in a row for the Blazers, who are back in action on Saturday on the road against DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls. The team then returns home on Monday for a pair of tough matchups versus Milwaukee and Golden State before the trade deadline on Thursday.
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