PHILADELPHIA - Two nights earlier, the Philadelphia 76ers blew a big lead. On Saturday, they blew out the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jahlil Okafor scored 17 of his 25 points in the first quarter as the fast-starting Sixers routed Portland 114-89 - Philadelphia's most one-sided victory of the season.

"We felt like we threw one away the other night," Sixers coach Brett Brown said, referring to Thursday's 115-111 overtime loss to Chicago, a game in which Philadelphia frittered away a 24-point lead. "I think that Chicago game still hangs around, and we came out and I think showed that we're going in the direction we want to go in, and we feel like we have been going."

Okafor, a rookie center, made 12 of 16 field-goal attempts and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Sixers, the NBA's worst team at 5-37. Their biggest victory before Saturday came on Dec. 1, when they beat the Los Angeles Lakers 103-91.

Forward Richaun Holmes scored 17 points and guard Ish Smith and forward Robert Covington had 16 each for Philadelphia, which shot a season-high 55.3 percent while snapping a four-game losing streak. Guard Isaiah Canaan contributed 14 points.

Forward Meyers Leonard and guard Damian Lillard scored 14 points each for Portland (18-25). C.J. McCollum added 13 for Portland, which saw a three-game winning streak end. Lillard shot just 4-for-18, while McCollum went 6-for-18.

Portland shot just 39.1 percent, including 17.2 percent (5-for-29) on 3-point shots.

"Nothing surprises me in this league," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "We're not even a .500 team, so losing on the road, that's not a surprise. I was disappointed in how we played. I was disappointed we weren't able to build on the momentum that we have. But we've got to learn and understand any team can beat you on any night."

Okafor went right to work against fellow Duke product Mason Plumlee, nailing jumpers on Philadelphia's first two possessions to open the scoring. He added six more points as the Sixers breezed to a 16-4 lead.

Okafor, who made his first seven shots, added a jumper to trigger a 7-0 flurry later in the first quarter, when the Sixers went up 29-15.

By the end of the quarter, he was 8-for-9 for 17 points. It was the first 17-point quarter by a rookie since the Lakers' Jabari Brown had 19 on April 15, 2015.

"It feels good when you see your teammates on the bench and they're telling you to keep killing it, as they call it," Okafor said. "They just continue to motivate me, give me confidence, and it's a lot of fun."

Brown called Okafor's start "huge" for the team as a whole and noted that most of his baskets came not in the low post, where he has flourished this season, but on jumpers.

Okafor, who finished with an "easy 25 and 10" in the estimation of the coach, also played as well in tandem with forward Nerlens Noel as they have all season, Brown said.

Philadelphia's lead continued to grow in the second period. A three-point play by Canaan put the Sixers up 57-31 with 5:22 left in the half, and by halftime their cushion remained a healthy 25 at 68-43.

Okafor finished the half with 17 points. Canaan had 12, and Smith and Covington contributed 11 each. Lillard led Portland with 13 points, and McCollum had 11.

"At halftime we told each other to make sure we maintain this lead and continue to play well," Okafor said.

The Sixers led by as many as 31 in the second half, and their lead was never fewer than 20 the last 31:53.

NOTES: Portland coach Terry Stotts said one of the keys to G Damian Lillard's strong play has been his ability to read trapping defenses and make the correct play. "He's passing it out a little earlier, being a little more patient with it," Stotts said. "I think his teammates are better executing when it comes out, whether it's passing to the weak side or making plays." ... The Sixers were without G Nik Stauskas (bruised shoulder) and F Jerami Grant (calf strain). "I think both should play on Monday (at the New York Knicks)," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. ... The crowd included rappers Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill.