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NBA: Rested Blazers roll to win over Warriors
By Anne M. Peterson, AP Sports Writer
Monday, March 12, 2007 | No comments posted.
PORTLAND - Portland's Zach Randolph spiced up yet another double-double with something a bit unusual, at least for him.
He dunked.
Randolph has only dunked a handful of times this season. He had 25 points and 13 rebounds in a 106-87 victory over the Warriors on Sunday night. It was his 34th double-double of the season.
“That was kind of crazy,” laughed teammate Jarrett Jack about Randolph's dunk, which came late in the first half.
The Trail Blazers led by as many as 23 points over Golden State, which was unexpectedly without top scorer Baron Davis.
Davis didn't play because of stiffness in his surgically repaired left knee. Without him, the Warriors had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Before Davis' return last Monday, the Warriors had lost six straight.
“It's hard to believe one guy could have this much affect on a team, but that looked to be the case,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “He wanted to play late in the game but we weren't playing well and I didn't think we had a chance to win the game so I decided to wait another.”
Nelson said he found out about five minutes before the game that Davis wasn't going to be able to play.
After Davis' recent return, the Warriors were finally coming together, notably in the backcourt. Jason Richardson has been back for 11 games after missing 22 with a broken hand.
Davis had 25 points and seven rebounds to lead the Warriors to a 99-89 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. He was averaging 20.7 points and 8.5 rebounds.
“My knee was stiff and sore,” Davis said. “It was hurting and that was about it.”
The Blazers had lost two straight, including a 99-94 loss to San Antonio last Tuesday.
The long break apparently helped the Blazers.
“The last couple of days in practice, guys looked a little fresher going up and down the floor,” Jack said.
Golden State was led by Al Harrington, who had 16 points and seven rebounds. Richardson had 14 points.
“We weren't really focused and Portland is a good team,” Richardson said. “They are young but they play hard. When you have your main guy out, other guys have to step up. I'm not sure we had that.”
Portland went up 36-27 after Martell Webster's 3-pointer and Travis Outlaw's dunk off a pass from Sergio Rodriguez.
Rodriguez also found Fred Jones, who made a one-handed dunk to make it 40-29.
Portland led 52-45 at the half, but the Warriors quickly closed the gap to open the second half. Richardson's layup narrowed it to 52-50.
That was as close as the Warriors would get.
Leading 64-59, the Blazers went on a 14-0 run, capped by Ime Udoka's 3-pointer, to make it 78-59.
During the run, Warriors guard Stephen Jackson was ejected. Unhappy with a call, he snapped the ball at the feet of an official.
The loss ended a seven-game Golden State winning streak against the Blazers, including three straight victories at the Rose Garden.
Rookie Brandon Roy added 26 points for the Trail Blazers.
Mavericks 108, Lakers 72
At Los Angeles, Josh Howard scored 24 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 19, and Dallas took control early in embarrassing the Lakers to match the longest winning streak in the NBA this season at 17 games.
The loss was the most one-sided setback at home for the Lakers since they moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960.
Jason Terry scored 14 points, Jerry Stackhouse and Austin Croshere added 13, and DeSagana Diop had 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won 38 of their last 40 games. The Phoenix Suns also had a 17-game winning streak this season. Those streaks are tied for the fifth-longest in NBA history.
Kobe Bryant had 25 points and nine rebounds for the short-handed Lakers (33-31), who have lost six straight to equal the longest losing streak of coach Phil Jackson's career. No Jackson-coached team had ever lost more than five in a row before this season - the Lakers also had a six-game skid last month.
Rockets 103, Magic 92
At Houston, Yao Ming had 37 points and four blocked shots in his biggest game since returning to the lineup, leading Houston over Orlando.
Yao, who also had seven rebounds, was playing his fourth game since returning from a broken right leg that caused him to miss 32 games.
Tracy McGrady added 19 points and 10 assists for Houston, which won its third straight after losing four of five. The Rockets have beaten Orlando nine of their last 10 meetings.
Grant Hill scored 17 points and Dwight Howard had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando, which lost for the fifth time in six games.
Nuggets 113, Kings 101
Allen Iverson had 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds to spoil Ron Artest's return to the Kings' lineup, and Denver snapped a 20-game losing streak in Sacramento.
Carmelo Anthony added 29 points and six rebounds and Marcus Camby had 16 points, 10 boards and six assists. Denver hadn't beaten the Kings in Sacramento since Jan. 7, 1997 - the longest active losing streak in the league.
Artest had 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists in his return following his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.
Heat 106, Wizards 104
At Miami, Udonis Haslem's 10-footer in the lane with 0.3 seconds left capped a wild back-and-forth game.
The Heat blew a 16-point first-half lead, then rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to win their sixth straight overall and 12th in a row at home - plus get within one game of Washington in the Southeast Division.
Cavaliers 99, Pacers 88
LeBron James scored 26 points - his lowest total in 11 games - but host Cleveland won its fifth straight and handed wilting Indiana its ninth consecutive loss.
Mike Dunleavy scored a season-high 25 points for the Pacers, whose skid is their longest since 1988-89.
Bulls 94, Celtics 78
Kirk Hinrich scored 26 points and Ben Gordon had 21 to help Chicago finish its road trip 3-1 and improve to 8-3 since the All-Star break.
Pistons 98, Clippers 80
At Los Angeles, Richard Hamilton scored 15 of his 23 points in the first quarter for Detroit, which won while Rasheed Wallace sat out a one-game suspension for accumulating 16 technical fouls.
Raptors 120, SuperSonics 119, OT
T.J. Ford scored nine points in overtime and host Toronto overcame a 36-point effort by Ray Allen to hand Seattle its third straight loss.
Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 27 points, while Ford added 24 points and 13 assists.
He dunked.
Randolph has only dunked a handful of times this season. He had 25 points and 13 rebounds in a 106-87 victory over the Warriors on Sunday night. It was his 34th double-double of the season.
“That was kind of crazy,” laughed teammate Jarrett Jack about Randolph's dunk, which came late in the first half.
The Trail Blazers led by as many as 23 points over Golden State, which was unexpectedly without top scorer Baron Davis.
Davis didn't play because of stiffness in his surgically repaired left knee. Without him, the Warriors had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Before Davis' return last Monday, the Warriors had lost six straight.
“It's hard to believe one guy could have this much affect on a team, but that looked to be the case,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “He wanted to play late in the game but we weren't playing well and I didn't think we had a chance to win the game so I decided to wait another.”
Nelson said he found out about five minutes before the game that Davis wasn't going to be able to play.
After Davis' recent return, the Warriors were finally coming together, notably in the backcourt. Jason Richardson has been back for 11 games after missing 22 with a broken hand.
Davis had 25 points and seven rebounds to lead the Warriors to a 99-89 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. He was averaging 20.7 points and 8.5 rebounds.
“My knee was stiff and sore,” Davis said. “It was hurting and that was about it.”
The Blazers had lost two straight, including a 99-94 loss to San Antonio last Tuesday.
The long break apparently helped the Blazers.
“The last couple of days in practice, guys looked a little fresher going up and down the floor,” Jack said.
Golden State was led by Al Harrington, who had 16 points and seven rebounds. Richardson had 14 points.
“We weren't really focused and Portland is a good team,” Richardson said. “They are young but they play hard. When you have your main guy out, other guys have to step up. I'm not sure we had that.”
Portland went up 36-27 after Martell Webster's 3-pointer and Travis Outlaw's dunk off a pass from Sergio Rodriguez.
Rodriguez also found Fred Jones, who made a one-handed dunk to make it 40-29.
Portland led 52-45 at the half, but the Warriors quickly closed the gap to open the second half. Richardson's layup narrowed it to 52-50.
That was as close as the Warriors would get.
Leading 64-59, the Blazers went on a 14-0 run, capped by Ime Udoka's 3-pointer, to make it 78-59.
During the run, Warriors guard Stephen Jackson was ejected. Unhappy with a call, he snapped the ball at the feet of an official.
The loss ended a seven-game Golden State winning streak against the Blazers, including three straight victories at the Rose Garden.
Rookie Brandon Roy added 26 points for the Trail Blazers.
Mavericks 108, Lakers 72
At Los Angeles, Josh Howard scored 24 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 19, and Dallas took control early in embarrassing the Lakers to match the longest winning streak in the NBA this season at 17 games.
The loss was the most one-sided setback at home for the Lakers since they moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960.
Jason Terry scored 14 points, Jerry Stackhouse and Austin Croshere added 13, and DeSagana Diop had 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won 38 of their last 40 games. The Phoenix Suns also had a 17-game winning streak this season. Those streaks are tied for the fifth-longest in NBA history.
Kobe Bryant had 25 points and nine rebounds for the short-handed Lakers (33-31), who have lost six straight to equal the longest losing streak of coach Phil Jackson's career. No Jackson-coached team had ever lost more than five in a row before this season - the Lakers also had a six-game skid last month.
Rockets 103, Magic 92
At Houston, Yao Ming had 37 points and four blocked shots in his biggest game since returning to the lineup, leading Houston over Orlando.
Yao, who also had seven rebounds, was playing his fourth game since returning from a broken right leg that caused him to miss 32 games.
Tracy McGrady added 19 points and 10 assists for Houston, which won its third straight after losing four of five. The Rockets have beaten Orlando nine of their last 10 meetings.
Grant Hill scored 17 points and Dwight Howard had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando, which lost for the fifth time in six games.
Nuggets 113, Kings 101
Allen Iverson had 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds to spoil Ron Artest's return to the Kings' lineup, and Denver snapped a 20-game losing streak in Sacramento.
Carmelo Anthony added 29 points and six rebounds and Marcus Camby had 16 points, 10 boards and six assists. Denver hadn't beaten the Kings in Sacramento since Jan. 7, 1997 - the longest active losing streak in the league.
Artest had 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists in his return following his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.
Heat 106, Wizards 104
At Miami, Udonis Haslem's 10-footer in the lane with 0.3 seconds left capped a wild back-and-forth game.
The Heat blew a 16-point first-half lead, then rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to win their sixth straight overall and 12th in a row at home - plus get within one game of Washington in the Southeast Division.
Cavaliers 99, Pacers 88
LeBron James scored 26 points - his lowest total in 11 games - but host Cleveland won its fifth straight and handed wilting Indiana its ninth consecutive loss.
Mike Dunleavy scored a season-high 25 points for the Pacers, whose skid is their longest since 1988-89.
Bulls 94, Celtics 78
Kirk Hinrich scored 26 points and Ben Gordon had 21 to help Chicago finish its road trip 3-1 and improve to 8-3 since the All-Star break.
Pistons 98, Clippers 80
At Los Angeles, Richard Hamilton scored 15 of his 23 points in the first quarter for Detroit, which won while Rasheed Wallace sat out a one-game suspension for accumulating 16 technical fouls.
Raptors 120, SuperSonics 119, OT
T.J. Ford scored nine points in overtime and host Toronto overcame a 36-point effort by Ray Allen to hand Seattle its third straight loss.
Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 27 points, while Ford added 24 points and 13 assists.
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