Carmelo Anthony climbs a place on the list of the best scorers of all time in the NBA

Minneapolis. Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, and Damian Lillard added 25 points and 10 assists, while the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-121 on Saturday night.

With his performance, 36-year-old Anthony overtook Hakeem Olajuwon for eleventh place on the NBA’s career scoring list. So far, he has 26,947 points, behind Elvin Hayes (27,313).

Enes Kanter had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Portland. Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 34 points and 10 rebounds, while rookie Anthony Edwards had 21 points and eight rebounds. The Timberwolves lost 14 of 16 and are 1-6 with new coach Chris Finch.

Lillard, the NBA’s third-highest scorer with 29.9 points per game, was limited to 10 by 6-2 in the first half, but Portland led 66-57 at the break.

Towns scored 13 points in the first six and a half minutes of the second half, including nine on a 12-0 run that tied the game at 76. Portland regained control when Lillard hit a long two-point basket and set up Gary Trent Jr. for a triple that lifted the Blazers 83-76. But the Timberwolves didn’t leave.

Naz Reid, giving Towns a break, scored six points, and Jaden McDaniels hit a 3-pointer with the remaining 4.6 seconds in the fourth to give Minnesota a 94-93 lead, entering the fourth. . Then it was Anthony who took the lead.

He hit a base jumper and a pair of 3s, and Anfernee Simons also hit two 3s to give Portland a 109-103 lead.

On the stretch, Anthony took center stage again, lifting the blazers 118-115 and, with the Wolves still three, the 17-year veteran found Derrick Jones Jr. right under the rim for a knockout that sank the ball. Minnesota, come back.

Charlotte’s first-quarter 3-point record

LaMelo Ball had 23 points and 9 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Toronto Raptors 114-104 on Saturday, which did not have all the starters, in the first local game with an authorized fan presence.

Devonte Graham and Terry Rozier each contributed 17 points to the Hornets, who seemed encouraged to have about 3,000 fans in what was their first game with an audience in more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Charlotte took a 25-4 lead and set the team’s all-time high of 11 triples in the first quarter, leading 44-24.

Ball, Rozier and Graham had 3 points in the first quarter for a combined total of 15 in the game. Ball’s PJ Washington swung in a good chance from the left, but the visitors’ defense were able to clear the ball.

Kyle Lowry finished with 19 points and eight assists leading the Raptors, who lost for the fourth time in a row without Pascal Siakam, Fred Van Vleet, Patrick McCaw, OG Anunoby and Malachi Flynn due to health and safety protocols.

Coach Nick Nurse said he believes the five players will not see action in Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.