DETROIT — Damian Lillard had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for his second triple-double of the season and third of his career late in the third quarter and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Detroit Pistons 110 on Monday -104. night
Lillard scored 16 points in the first quarter to give the Trail Blazers a 31-18 lead, and they had little trouble holding onto a comfortable lead against a team that had been hit and miss most of the night.
“He came out and set the tone for us,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “It usually does.”
The dynamic 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard also hit the boards for his undersized team, grabbing three more than in any other game this season.
“We’re small and we need him there right now,” Billups said. “He’s going to fight the big boys. He is ready to do everything that depends on him.”
Detroit pulled within six points with 1:39 left to fire up the previously quiet crowd, and Jeremy Grant calmed them down with a 3-pointer on the next possession. Grant scored 26 points against his former team.
“I’m applauding our fight and scratching my head,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said.
Cam Reddish had 13 points, Trendon Watford had 12 and Drew Eubanks added 10 for the Trail Blazers, who won back-to-back for the first time in a month to bolster their playoff hopes.
“I don’t mind being overlooked,” Billups said. “I just want us to get healthy and see if we can do what I think we can do.”
Isaiah Livers had a career-high 17 points for the Pistons, who have lost a season-high eight games.
“He did a great job of being aggressive and getting open shots,” Casey said. “He was our best 3-point shooter at times.”
Detroit rookie Jayden Ivey had 13 points and 13 assists, Cory Joseph had 14 points, Alec Burks had 13 and James Wiseman added 12.
The Pistons were without injured starters Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart and rookie center Jalen Duran, as well as key reserve Kilian Hayes.
“We’ve been out of sorts offensively because it’s such a new lineup,” Casey said. “That hurt us in the first quarter, and then we turned them up when we started switching.”
Welcome back
Billups, the NBA Finals MVP in Detroit’s third and final championship in 2004, was greeted with roars by the crowd at Little Caesars Arena.
“Even though it’s not the building I played in, it’s still home,” said Billups, who played with the Pistons at The Palace in suburban Detroit. “It’s always fun no matter what. To be honest, for me it’s just another game to coach, but seeing everyone means so much more.”
Grant, who was traded to Portland last summer for a 2025 first-round pick Detroit used in a trade with New York to acquire Duren, was politely applauded by fans.
Tips
Blazers: Anfernee Simmons (ankle) missed her third straight game. … Lillard has more than 30 points in all three of his triple-doubles and has scored at least 30 in six straight games against Detroit.
