Cavs end losing streak with win over Blazers

Larry Nance Jr. stopped a Portland run with a dunk with 2:38 remaining in the game Saturday night, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers hold off the visiting Trail Blazers 110-104 to end a six-game losing streak.

Jordan Clarkson scored a game-high 28 points to provide a happy ending for Cleveland basketball fans who had shown up to witness another historic shootout between multiple-time All-Stars Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony.

That head-to-head never got off the ground as Love was held out on the second night of a back-to-back, but Cavaliers faithful went home satisfied nonetheless as their team opened a six-game homestand with a rare win.

Anthony played 34 minutes and totaled 11 points.

The Cavaliers led by as many as 15 points in the third period and were still up 100-88 with just 5:37 to play before Damian Lillard almost single-handedly denied the Trail Blazers a fourth straight defeat.

Lillard sandwiched two layups with a long 3-pointer, a personal seven-point flurry that made it a five-point game and prompted a Cavaliers timeout with still 3:27 to play.

That's when Nance responded with his momentum-killing dunk and the Cavaliers, drubbed 143-101 Friday night at Dallas, managed to hold on.

Eighteen of Clarkson's game-high point total came on 6-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers. He also went 10-for-12 at the foul line, helping the hosts run up a 26-12 advantage in free throw points.

Tristan Thompson chipped in with 25 points and Collin Sexton 19 for Cleveland, while Nance finished with an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double.

The Cavaliers' Cedi Osman matched Nance's game-high rebound total.

Lillard used his late flurry to accumulate a team-high 23 points for the Trail Blazers, who haven't won since adding Anthony earlier in the week.

The free-agent pick-up did manage double-figure scoring for a third straight game but shot just 5-for-15 overall and missed all eight of his 3-point attempts.

CJ McCollum added 20 points, while Rodney Hood and Anfernee Simons had 11 apiece for Portland, which outshot Cleveland both overall and on 3-pointers, but fell victim to a 51-38 rebound deficit.

Lillard was the visitors' leading rebounder with eight. He also finished with a game-high eight assists.

--Field Level Media