PORTLAND, Ore. -- For a half, it was a game.

Then the Portland Trail Blazers turned on the burners in the third quarter, and the rout was on.

Leading by six points at halftime, the Trail Blazers outscored the Charlotte Hornets 15-5 to open the third quarter on their way to a 115-98 victory Tuesday night at Moda Center.

"At halftime, we talked about getting sharper and getting back to the way we started the game, and we did that," said Portland guard Damian Lillard, who scored a game-high 27 points. "It started on the defensive end. We helped each other out, we were physical and we took things away. That allowed us to break it open."

CJ McCollum added 18 points and Allen Crabbe contributed 21 points off the bench as the Trail Blazers (22-28) won for the fourth time in five outings.

Kemba Walker scored 22 points, and Nicolas Batum collected 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Hornets, who lost for the fifth straight time.

The Blazers won the battle in rebounds (51-42) and points in the paint (44-22) and held Charlotte to 39.8 percent shooting. Portland had only eight turnovers, one more than its season low.

"(Portland) played a great game," Batum said. "We didn't, and we have to move on now."

The Blazers started 0 of 8 from the field but trailed only 4-0. They took a 28-23 lead into the second quarter, Lillard leading the way with 14 points.

Portland extended the advantage to 42-28 early in the second period. Charlotte (23-26) rallied to whittle the margin to 51-48 just before the break.

The Blazers' hot start to the second half made the advantage 71-55.

"We closed the gap at the end of the second quarter, but they went on a roll in the third," Batum said.

Soon it was 82-62. The Blazers were in front 86-68 going into the fourth quarter and led 94-72 with 10 minutes left. The Hornets got no closer than 17 points the rest of the way.

"I liked the way we played," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "We should have had a larger lead at halftime. Our decision-making in transition and our early offense wasn't good in the first half. We had a lot of opportunities we didn't take advantage of. But defensively, we were very good most of the night."

Depth is an issue for Charlotte. The Hornets reserves were outscored 55-41 by their Portland counterparts.

"Our starters have the sixth-best plus/minus (ratio) in the NBA, and then four guys with (reserve center) Roy Hibbert are fine, too," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "Beyond that, we haven't been able to find lineups that work effectively.

"When we started the game, our energy was fine. When we broke the (starting) lineup, it was a problem."

The Blazers, meanwhile, hope they are beginning a move up the standings in the Western Conference.

"We're trending in the right direction," said Lillard, who was 10 of 18 from the field. "We're playing the right brand of basketball that's going to give us the opportunity to be successful. Last game (a 113-111 loss to Golden State on Sunday), we fell short with a great look to win it at the end against the best team in the league. But we're doing the right things at both ends of the floor."

NOTES: Portland is 10-4 when holding the opponent under 100 points. ... The Blazers face Dallas on Friday to end their current five-game homestand. ... Over his past four games, Portland G Allen Crabbe is averaging 16 points on 60.5 percent shooting, including 9 of 16 from 3-point range. ... Portland C Mason Plumlee, who had seven points and 11 rebounds, has had at least 10 rebounds in seven straight games. ... Charlotte C Cody Zeller (quad) sat out his fourth consecutive game. Coach Steve Clifford said it's unlikely Zeller will play Wednesday at Golden State, either. ... Portland F Ed Davis (wrist) missed his fifth straight game. ... The Blazers have won nine home games in a row against Charlotte dating to 2008. ... Charlotte G Nicolas Batum joins Cleveland's LeBron James, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Houston's James Harden and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook as the only players averaging at least 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists this season. "Nic's a cornerstone of our franchise," Clifford said. "He has made a huge difference in our team."