Magic down Blazers 113-95 after Portland deals away McCollum

Posted February 09, 2022 6:00 am

By ANNE M. PETERSON

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris,right, looks to pass the ball as Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford, left, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola) The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Cole Anthony scored 23 points and the Orlando Magic downed the Trail Blazers 113-95 on Tuesday night, hours after a trade ended ended guard CJ McCollum's nearly nine-year tenure in Portland.

Wendell Carter Jr. added 18 for Orlando, which snapped a two-game losing streak. The Magic led by as many as 18 points before the Blazers closed the gap in the third quarter.

Anfernee Simons made a free throw that got Portland within 95-90 with 6:07 to go but Chuma Okeke responded with a dunk and the Magic pulled away to close out the win.

Simons finished with 19 points for the Blazers, who have lost six straight. A pair of multiple-player trades before Thursday's deadline depleted Portland's roster.

The latest came early Tuesday, when the Blazers dealt McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell to New Orleans in exchange for Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada, as well as draft picks.

The trade marks the end of an era in Portland, where McCollum has been paired with Damian Lillard in the backcourt since 2013. The duo helped lead the Blazers to eight straight playoff appearances, but they were eliminated in the first round five times and just once advanced to the Western Conference finals.

McCollum was averaging 20.5 points this season.

Lillard, a six-time All-Star, has been sidelined since the start of the year with an abdominal injury that required surgery. It is unclear when, or if, he will return this season, but he was at the team's practice facility on Monday putting up a few shots.

Before the game, coach Chauncey Billups was unable to talk about the specifics of the deal because it had not yet been finalized.

'œI think we all knew that change was inevitable here. It was a great run. Probably not as good as they wanted it to be, or the city or the fans wanted it to be, but it was great,'ť Billups said.

The Magic, in the midst of a rebuild around young talent, weren't expected to make any moves at the deadline. The team was coming off a pair of blowout losses at home to Memphis and Boston.

Orlando had little trouble against the Blazers, pulling ahead 41-29 on Robin Lopez's 3-pointer. The Magic pushed the lead to 56-41 on Mo Bamba's 3 late in the first half.

Portland went into the final period trailing 83-79.

Orlando's Jalen Suggs headed for the locker room after the opening quarter and the team later revealed he wouldn't return because of a sore right Achilles. Suggs is averaging 12.6 points this season.

TIP-INS

Magic: Tuesday's game was the first of a four-game road trip. ... Mo Wagner was ruled out of the game with a left rib contusion he sustained Sunday against Boston. ... Anthony had nine assists.

Trail Blazers: Last Friday, Portland sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow and Keon Johnson. That move was widely seen as financial, as it put the Blazers below the luxury tax threshold.

UP NEXT

Magic: Visit the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Trail Blazers: Host the Los Angles Lakers on Wednesday.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, right, passes the ball as Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ Elleby defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola) The Associated Press

Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ Elleby, right, drives to the basket as Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola) The Associated Press

FILE - Portland Trail Blazers' C.J. McCollum, left, and Damian Lillard are shown during an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, in Philadelphia. The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired guard C.J. McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a seven-player trade, according to two people familiar with the situation. The people spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been made official. The trade marks the end of an era in Portland, where McCollum has been paired with Damian Lillard in the backcourt since 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File) The Associated Press

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