Jazz Use Second Half Run To Top Blazers, Snap Five Game Skid

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz sneak past the Portland Trail Blazers with a 117-114 win, snapping a five game losing streak. The Jazz benefited from a blatantly missed goaltending call in the final seconds.

Former Weber State star and Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard tried to tie the game in the final seconds when Jazz center Rudy Gobert blocked the layup but the ball had already hit the backboard but the officials didn’t call a goaltend, which would have tied the game.

The Blazers couldn’t challenge the call because the referees didn’t blow their whistle.

Lillard was very upset after the game as he tried to confront the officials.

Here's what happened when Dame went to tie the game vs. the Jazz… pic.twitter.com/bBh83h0H0Y

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 8, 2020

Damian Lillard was furious after the no-call toward the end of the Blazers’ loss. pic.twitter.com/KHrr6AZhgd

— ESPN (@espn) February 8, 2020

Second Half Run

The Jazz did not play well in the first half, allowing Lillard to score 16 points in the first quarter on a perfect 6-6 shooting from the field and 4-4 from the three point line. Utah trailed Portland 72-58 at the halftime break.

But, the Jazz must have had a motivational speech in the locker room because they started the second half with a 7-0 run. Utah outscored Portland 30-17 in the third quarter. In the second half, the Jazz scored 59 points and held the Trail Blazers to 42 points.

Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz with 27 points and 4 rebounds on 10-16 shooting from the floor and 2-6 from beyond the arc. He scored 12 points in the second half. Joe Ingles added 11 of his 14 points in the second half, along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

Donovan Mitchell scored 16 points, pulled down 6 boards and dished out 7 assists. Mike Conley contributed 18 points and 4 assists. Rudy Gobert notched another double-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and one block.

💧 44 & 45 💧 pic.twitter.com/8ru0utj7VB

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 8, 2020

Limiting Damian Lillard

Lillard had a tremendous first half with 27 points on 10-13 shooting. It looked like he was going to score 50 again on the Jazz like their previous meeting. But the Jazz made adjustments in the second half and forced Lillard to make some difficult shots. The Blazers’ all-star scored 15 of his 42 points in the second half, shooting just 6-17 from the floor and 3-8 from the perimeter. Through the whole game, Lillard attempted 30 shots on 47 points.

C.J. McCollum added 27 points, along with 16 points off the bench from Gary Trent Jr.

Portland entered the game shorthanded with Hassan Whiteside, Nassir Little and Jusuf Nurkic out with injuries. To pour salt in the wound, Trevor Ariza received two technical fouls and was ejected early in the second quarter and the Blazers lost guard Anfernee Simons in the second period with a concussion.

The Jazz improved their record to 33-18 on the season, snapping a five game skid. They will go on a two-game road trip to Texas starting on Sunday to face the Houston Rockets. Tip-off is at 5 p.m. and will be televised on AT&T SportsNet and NBATV.