PORTLAND, Ore. -- In backcourt mate Damian Lillard's absence, CJ McCollum had been carrying the load for the Portland Trail Blazers and doing just fine.

But Lillard can make a difference and he proved it Thursday night in helping the Trail Blazers to a 118-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center.

Lillard, who had missed the previous five games with a sprained left ankle, scored 21 points and delivered 10 assists while McCollum contributed 27 and seven as Portland (16-22) won for only the fourth time in 16 outings.

"Makes the game much easier when Dame's on the floor," said McCollum, who had scored 43 and 35 points in his two previous games. "The defense can't key in on me as much when he;s out there."

Lillard missed seven games with an Achilles tendon injury last season.

"I didn't prepare as well as I needed to come back, and it took a few games to get my rhythm and wind back," he said. "This time, I did a lot of conditioning and individual workouts leading up to tonight. I felt good out there."

Lillard's plus/minus rating was plus-28, far higher than that of any other player in the game.

"We were really good when he was on the floor," said center Mason Plumlee, who chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists. "It was good to have him back."

D'Angelo Russell scored 22 points, Jordan Clarkson added 21 and Julius Randle had 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Lakers (13-26), who lost for the 16th time in 19 games.

L.A. led by as many as 14 points in the first half and was still on top 103-99 with 5:39 to play. The Blazers then went on a 13-1 run, with the Lakers scoring one point over eight possessions.

"We gave ourselves a chance to win, and we had a lead," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "We broke down on defense a couple of times down the stretch. And we started searching out some 3s when we need to just continue to push the ball, set hard screens and dive instead of go for a home-run play."

Lillard scored 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field to stake Portland to a 29-24 lead after one quarter. The Lakers made only 5 of 18 s from the floor in the quarter.

L.A. went on a 15-0 run to seize a 37-29 advantage. The Lakers hiked the edge to 62-48 late in the second quarter and settled for a nine-point lead going into the half. Clarkson came off the bench for 13 second-quarter points to drive the Lakers.

Moe Harkless scored seven straight points to draw Portland even at 66-66 early in the third quarter, then the Trail Blazers went ahead 79-78 on two Lillard free throws late in the quarter. The score was tied at 84 heading into the fourth quarter.

The teams battled back and forth, with forward Evan Turner scoring 10 straight points to push the Blazers ahead 99-98 with 6:27 remaining. The Lakers followed with five in a row to take a 103-99 edge with 5:39 left.

Lillard's 3-pointer cut the margin to 103-102, and McCollum scored seven in a row to give Portland a 109-103 lead with 3:30 to go.

Turner connected on a jumper to make it 111-104 with 2:03 left. The Lakers got to within 115-109 with 35.7 seconds left, but could get no closer.

Portland coach Terry Stotts had said before the game that it was critical that the Blazers win their next three games -- Thursday's battle with the Lakers, a Saturday night home date with Detroit and a rematch against the Lakers next Tuesday at Staples Center.

"All three games are against teams below .500 in the standings," Stotts said afterward. "We've had a tough stretch (mostly) on the road against some very good teams. So when you're playing teams below .500, you can't let those slip away. These three games can get us back in the mix (for the playoffs)."

NOTES: The Trail Blazers have beaten the Lakers nine straight times dating to 2014. ... Portland F Evan Turner scored a season-high 21 points off the bench. ... Lakers F Luol Deng (biceps) sat out the game. Rookie Brandon Ingram started in his place, collecting 11 points and four rebounds in 37 minutes. ... Lakers F Julius Randle notched the third triple-double of his career -- and his second this season -- in a Tuesday victory over Memphis, collecting 19 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. "Julius just has to continue to pay attention to detail, and not worry about trying to get triple-doubles, not worry about getting numbers," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "He needs to go out and get lost in the game and focus on things he can control. If we can continue to grow on that, his numbers will be pretty consistent."