Date: 02/11/2016 04:59 AM
AP-NW–SportsMinute/290
Here is the latest Washington, Oregon and Alaska sports news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Damian Lillard sparked a second-quarter outburst for the Portland Trail Blazers and finished with 31 points and nine assists in a 116-103 win over the Houston Rockets last night. Maurice Harkless set season highs with 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers, who moved past Houston into a tie with Utah for seventh place in the Western Conference standings. They enter the All-Star break having won three in a row and eight of nine.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Lorenzo Bonam scored 18 points as Utah defeated Washington 90-82 last night in Pac-12 play. The Utes broke a two game losing streak and kept themselves on the fringe of the race to win the conference. Marquese Chriss scored 24 for the Huskies while Andrew Andrews chipped in 22.
UNDATED (AP) — Portland guard Damian Lillard has been added to the U.S. national basketball team pool, giving the Americans 31 players for 12 spots. Lillard fell just short of a place on the 2014 World Cup of Basketball roster and wasn’t among the original 30 candidates for Rio de Janeiro announced last month. The fourth-year guard is averaging career highs of 24.2 points and 7.3 assists, ranking among the top seven in the NBA in both.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) – U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Hope Solo asserted that if the Olympics were held today, she would not go out of concern about the Zika virus. Solo’s apprehension about the Rio Games this summer was first reported by Sports Illustrated this week. She reiterated those comments following the U.S. team’s 5-0 victory over Costa Rica last night to open the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.