Lillard's 49 points lift Blazers over Heat, 115-104
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MIAMI (AP) Damian Lillard scored a season-high 49 points, 28 of them coming after halftime and the Portland Trail Blazers continued their playoff push by beating the Miami Heat 115-104 on Sunday night.
Lillard tied a career high with nine 3-pointers, giving him 1,002 for his career. He shot 14 for 21 from the field, 9 for 12 from 3-point range and made all 12 of his free throws.
Jusef Nurkic added 21 points and 12 rebounds for Portland (32-37), which moved within a game of idle Denver for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. C.J. McCollum scored 18 points and Noah Vonleh added 11 for the Trail Blazers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}James Johnson scored 24 points for Miami, which lost for just the second time in its last 17 home games. The Heat (34-36) missed a chance to reach .500 for the first time this season.