New addition Powell, McCollum help Blazers drop Magic
Portland Trail Blazers guard Norman Powell (24) celebrates a three-point shot against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports
Norman Powell made an immediate impact in his first game with Portland as he and CJ McCollum each scored 22 points to lead the Blazers to a 112-105 road victory over the Magic on Friday night in Orlando.
Playing without Damian Lillard, who sat out the second of back-to-back games with a bruised left knee, Powell shot 7-for-13 including 5-for-7 from 3-point range.
Powell was acquired by Portland on Thursday in a trade with Toronto for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood.
22 points for @npowell2404 in his @trailblazers debut! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/K383n852ff
— NBA (@NBA) March 27, 2021
The highest scoring mid-season debut in team history.@brookeolzendam talks to the man of the hour, @npowell2404, in tonight's @Biofreeze Top Performance Review after his huge performance in the win in Orlando. pic.twitter.com/LpHt207rc7
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 27, 2021
McCollum struggled from the field, shooting 8-for-26 and 2-for-11 from 3, but had seven assists and five rebounds.
Enes Kanter provided Portland with a boost off the bench, finishing with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Robert Covington added 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and had a key putback and three-pointer during the final five minutes to help Portland seal the win. Anfernee Simons also had 15 points.
The Blazers hit 18 of 40 three-pointers and shot 47.1 percent overall.
Jusuf Nurkic played 18 minutes and 31 seconds in his first game back from wrist surgery and finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
Orlando lost for the third time in its past four games and is 2-12 over its past 14.
Orlando tied the game at 94 with 6:31 left in the fourth. But the Blazers capitalized on a pair of Magic turnovers to score seven consecutive points and take the lead for good.
The Magic, who are already playing shorthanded with centerpieces Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac out for the season with knee injuries, still didn’t have any of their four players they acquired before Thursday’s trade deadline (Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., Gary Harris or R.J. Hampton) available.
Orlando got a balanced scoring effort nonetheless with six players scoring in double figures led by Chuma Okeke’s 22 points.
Khem Birch totaled 14 points and 15 rebounds. James Ennis III totaled 18 points while Dwayne Bacon finished with 17 points and six assists. Mo Bamba had 11 points and Chasson Randle scored 10.
