The Portland Trail Blazers (22 - 26) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (22 - 25) 109 - 91 on Friday night. The final score would indicate a blowout, but this game was close throughout. In fact, it was a single - digit deficit with three minutes left, before the Blazers went on a late run to put it out of hand. The Trail Blazers dominated in the second and third quarters, as they outscored the Hornets by 18 points in that 24 - minute stretch. Portland's defense was key, as they held Charlotte to 39 percent shooting and drew 16 turnovers in the win. In the Nicolas Batum return game, things didn’t go as hoped. Batum shot terribly, as he went just 1 - for - 11 from the field, but did dish out eight assists. Kemba Walker didn’t shoot much better, as he went 4 - for - 13 to tally 14 points, four assists and four steals in the loss. It was the bench that kept them in the game, with Brian Roberts scoring 17 points, while Tyler Hansbrough double - doubled. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist played his first game of the season here as well and played pretty well, as he amassed 13 points and seven rebounds in his return. Marvin Williams led the team with 20 points and also snatched down nine rebounds. The Hornets have a much better chance to win in their next game, when they play the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. This now gives Portland three - straight wins with all three coming by at least 15 points. It was Damian Lillard who daggered the Hornets, as he hit some late shots en route to his 22 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steal line. Al-Farouq Aminu and Mason Plumlee each double - doubled with the two combining for 30 points and 24 rebounds in the win. Allen Crabbe also gave the team a nice spark off the bench, as he scored 20 points in the victory. The Trail Blazers now currently sit in the eight - seed in the Western Conference and that's quite the accomplishment considering the preseason expectations. They'll look to keep up their good play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday in their next game.
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