OAKLAND --The Portland Trail Blazers fumbled away a win in the fourth quarter against the red-hot Houston Rockets.
They used a spirited fourth quarter rally to nearly pull off a shocker Monday night against the reigning NBA champions.
The Blazers trimmed a 24-point second-half deficit down to eight points late in the fourth quarter before the Golden Warriors' depth and dominance persevered in a 111-104 victory at Oracle Arena.
It was another encouraging but tough-to-swallow loss for the Blazers (13-13), who held their own against the two best teams in the Western Conference for stretches before coming up short. Portland suffered its season-high fifth consecutive defeat.
TOP PERFORMERS
Damian Lillard scored 11 of his team-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, making 12 of 28 shots, including 5 of 13 three-pointers. CJ McCollum added 21 points for the Blazers.
But it wasn't enough on a night that Kevin Durant looked like an MVP, finishing with 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks, and Klay Thompson shook off cold shooting to score 24 points.
DOWN TO EIGHT TWICE IN FOURTH
The Warriors were cruising to an easy victory before the Blazers chipped away with an inspiring fourth quarter in which they finished with a 29-18 edge. They twice trimmed a 24-point deficit down to eight points, once on a Lillard three-pointer and again on a deep Pat Connaughton three-pointer. Connaughton's shot brought the Blazers to within 106-98. But Thompson nailed a three-pointer two possessions later, halting the Blazers' momentum, and the Warriors held on for a seven-point victory.
THIRD QUARTER FIREWORKS
The Warriors entered the game averaging an NBA-high 32.1 points per game in the third quarter as their devastating and multifaceted offense has proved too much for opponents all season. They added to that league-best total Monday night, outscoring the Blazers 33-28 to take a 93-75 lead into the fourth quarter.
BALLGAME FOR BELL
Oregon Ducks alum Jordan Bell started for the shorthanded Warriors and was all over the place, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Along the way, Bell turned in two of the highlights of the game. In the third quarter, Bell chased a Blazers fast break and emphatically blocked a Lillard layup off the backboard. Later, he picked off a shaky Evan Turner pass on the perimeter and streaked the other way for a breakaway layup. That play gave the Warriors an 80-59 lead with 6:54 left in the third quarter.
NURKIC, HARKLESS SIT ... AGAIN
Center Jusuf Nurkic and small forward Moe Harkless did not play against the Warriors, missing their second consecutive game with right ankle and left quad injuries, respectively.
Nurkic went through an extensive pregame shooting session, however, and seemed to be moving well. So he could be nearing a return -- although coach Terry Stotts didn't want to speculate about when that might be.
"I don't know if we've said anything," he said, when asked if the team considered the duo day-to-day. "I couldn't tell you one way or the other. I don't want to get ahead of it."
WARRIORS SHORT TWO ALL-STARS
The Blazers weren't the only team playing shorthanded. The Warriors won despite playing without All-Stars Draymond Green (sore right shoulder) and Steph Curry (sprained right ankle) and starter Zaza Pachulia (sore left shoulder).
NEXT UP
The Blazers continue their five-game, eight-day trip with a Wednesday night matchup at the Miami Heat. It's the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The Blazers have won three in a row in the series, which includes a 114-104 victory in Miami last season.
Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman