NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jrue Holiday's postseason production is providing Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis with a more comfortable margin for error — and has left Portland with precious little.Holiday's 54 points, 16 assists and slew of defensive successes in the first two games are big reasons why the sixth-seeded Pelicans hold a surprising 2-0 series lead over the third-seeded Trail Blazers as they prepare for Game 3 Thursday night in New Orleans."Playoff Jrue, I guess," Davis quipped after Holiday scored 33 — including a late, deep 3-pointer — in the Pelicans' Game 2 triumph in Portland on Tuesday night. "He's in a different mode."Philadelphia visits Miami in one of two other Game 3s on Thursday night, while the Spurs' return to San Antonio after a pair of double-digit losses at defending champion Golden State.Pelicans general manager Dell Demps bet big on Holiday on the first day of free agency last summer, giving the 27-year-old guard a five-year contract worth about $126 million. But if... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers have enjoyed post-All-Star break revivals the past two seasons.Those late-season rallies will no doubt be an ongoing theme in the congested Western Conference playoff race once Portland resumes play on Friday in Utah."I mean, I think that's in the back of our minds. We know that we're usually a better team in the second half of the season," Portland guard Damian Lillard said. "We can't just go into it saying, 'All right, we're always good at this part of the season.' I think mentally we have to understand how close of a race it is and that we've got to be sharp all the way through."Portland is 32-26 at the break, tied for sixth in the West, which is better off than it was last season at the same point.But the Blazers are one of five teams in the West with 26 losses. The Warriors and Houston Rockets sit comfortably atop the standings with the next eight teams jostling for position.The Blazers headed into the All-Star Game with a 123-117 victory over... [More]

C Jusuf Nurkic finished with 11 rebounds but shot 3 of 11 as Portland lost to Atlanta on Saturday. He has 23 rebounds in his last two games but is shooting 28.6 percent (10 of 35) in his last three games.

C Jusuf Nurkic scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter after getting busted in the nose and leaving early in the third quarter. "I was mad," he said. "The more I get mad, I play better. I was trying to kill everybody almost, in a good way. I had one thing in my mind when I went back out there -- how we were going to win the game."

C Jusuf Nurkic scored 20 points while still being on a minutes restriction in Monday's 108-107 loss at Minnesota. Monday was his third game back from a sprained ankle and he played 28 minutes.

C Jusuf Nurkic scored 14 points Saturday. Nurkic's layup gave the Blazers the lead for good at 89-87 with 4:22 left

C Jusuf Nurkic (sprained ankle) started, but was on a minutes restriction; he finished the night playing 25 after missing the last three games. He led Portland with 11 rebounds.

C Jusuf Nurkic missed his third straight game due to an sprained right ankle.

C Jusuf Nurkic (sprained right ankle) and F Mo Harkless (bruised left quad) did not play Monday at Golden State.

C Jusuf Nurkic had 15 points and nine rebounds before leaving with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 106-92 loss to Washington.

C Jusuf Nurkic collected 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers (13-9), who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

C Jusuf Nurkic and Noah Vonleh combined for 20 points and 21 rebounds. Nurkic added six assists.

C Jusuf Nurkic produced the play of the game for the Trail Blazers as he produced the tiebreaking three-point play with 27.6 seconds remaining by hustling under the rim Friday afternoon as Portland beat the Brooklyn Nets, 127-125."I learn to never quit, and there's no lost possession until the game is done," Nurkic said. "We're going to fight. I saw an opportunity to get the ball and try to make a play and it went in."Nurkic produced his fifth double-double of the season with 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting and 15 rebounds. No play was as significant as what unfolded with regulation time winding down in a 123-123 game.With 30.6 seconds remaining, Jurkic drove to the rim only to get blocked by DeMarre Carroll. Brooklyn's Caris LeVert grabbed the rebound on a scramble under the rim with 28.2 seconds left but lost the ball to Nurkic, who went right back up and converted a reverse layup for a 125-123 lead while being fouled by Spencer Dinwiddie.

C Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers.

C Jusuf Nurkic had committed 53 fouls this season and was averaging 3.3 fouls per game. He had four on Monday. "He gets himself in trouble by reaching," Portland coach Terry Stotts said.

C Jusuf Nurkic tied for the team high with 17 points in Monday's win over the Nuggets.

C Jusuf Nurkic led the Blazers with 21 points in Friday's loss to Brooklyn.

C Jusuf Nurkic scored 20 of his season-high 28 points in the first half Thursday as the Blazers beat the Lakers.

C Jusuf Nurkic has struggled offensively this season. "Basically, he hasn't been finishing around the basket and his turnovers are up a little, but it's a small sample size," Stotts said before Thursday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Nurkic had 12 points and eight rebounds Thursday. He was plagued by foul trouble, picking up his fifth early in the third quarter and being limited to 27 minutes.

C Jusuf Nurkic added 17 for the Blazers, who managed to stay close all night despite shooting a season-low 42.5 percent from the floor.Nurkic recorded his second double-double of the season Saturday, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He had 13 double-doubles a year ago.