Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard advances for a layup in a game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022 (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard advances for a layup in a game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022 (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jerami Grant scored 28 points as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Indiana Pacers 116-110 on Sunday night.
Blazers star Damian Lillard had 21 points and six assists in his first game since suffering a calf injury on Nov. 19. Anfernee Simons contributed 22 points and six assists, while Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points and six boards.
Myles Turner led the Pacers with 24 points and nine rebounds. Buddy Hield added 22 points for Indiana, which was without starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Lillard hit his first field goal, a 3-pointer from the corner. With Lillard back in uniform, Portland kept the Pacers in check for much of the game. Although Indiana took an early lead in the first quarter by shooting 6-for-10, Portland was in control the rest of the game.
The Blazers showed off their long-range shooting by hitting 17 of 40 3-point attempts, 42.5%. Ball movement was key for Portland, which dished out 32 assists on 42 field goals.
A 3-pointer by Grant increased the lead to 68-53 with 8:54 left in the third quarter, and another 3-pointer by Simons made it 89-67 with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth. Portland entered the final period leading 93-74.
