Lillard leads Blazers’ 105-90 rout of Knicks

Damian Lillard had 26 points and 10 assists to lead the Trail Blazers to a 105-90 victory over the Knicks on Thursday night, outplaying New York point guard Raymond Felton in his return to Portland.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Nicolas Batum added 18 points for Portland, where Felton drew the ire of fans during a disappointing stint last season. The crowd was on Felton all night.

“Obviously, there’s strong feelings about Raymond Felton here,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “One of the things I’ve enjoyed about being in Portland is how passionate the fans are.”

J.R. Smith had 33 points and Kenyon Martin added 12 to lead New York, which went ice cold in second half, shooting just 33 percent. The Knicks lead the Atlantic Division but have lost three straight after a rash of injuries that has decimated their starting five.

Felton was roundly criticized last year in Portland for starting the season out of shape and then playing well below expectations. He fanned the flames earlier in the week by telling Newsday about his return: “There are certain people there I don’t want to see and better not come near me.” Portland fans booed Felton when he was introduced and then each time he touched the ball. He finished with 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

“It was what I expected,” Felton said. “Some boos. Boos the whole time, actually. It was funny. It made me laugh.”

The Blazers drafted Lillard with the sixth pick in the NBA draft to replace Felton at point guard, and he has averaged 19.0 points and 6.4 assists a game to emerge as a front-runner for Rookie of the Year.

“Every game is very important right now,” Aldridge said.

New York shot 58 percent from the field in the first half and led for most of it. Marcus Camby’s layup gave the Knicks 41-28 lead midway through the second quarter. However, the Blazers put together a charge just before halftime, ending the half with a 13-0 run to go into the break with a 51-48 advantage.