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NBA: Blazers get big win over Sacramento
By The Associated Press
Saturday, November 22, 2008 | No comments posted.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Portland Trail Blazers gave themselves plenty of rest in the opener of back-to-back games.
Steve Blake made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Blazers, who pulled away in the third quarter Friday night for their second straight lopsided victory, 117-94 over the struggling Sacramento Kings.
The Blazers, who conclude a stretch of seven of eight games on the road today in Phoenix, were coming off a 116-74 victory Wednesday over Chicago, their largest margin of victory since a 45-point win over Dallas in 1997.
“I’ve had lots of rest the last two games,” said leading scorer Brandon Roy, who scored 16 points in 27 minutes, failing to reach 20-point mark for the first time in eight games.
After shooting 59 percent in the opening half, the Blazers scored the final 10 points of the third quarter to open a 94-69 lead that was never dipped below 20 in the fourth.
“What a third quarter,” Portland coach Nate McMillan said. “We came out very aggressive and pushed the ball. We were very aggressive and made our shots. We quit turning the ball over and we controlled the boards, that is what paid off for us.”
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 19 points for the Blazers, who made 14 of 26 3-point attempts and shot 56 percent overall. Travis Outlaw made three 3-pointers and had 15 points, Rudy Fernandez made four threes and added 14 points, while Joel Przybilla contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Rookie Jason Thompson had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost three of four games. Brad Miller scored 16 points, Spencer Hawes had 15 and Bobby Brown added 11.
The Kings will get a quick opportunity for redemption. After visiting the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the Kings fly to Portland for a Monday game at the Rose Garden, where the Blazers are 4-0 this season.
“These guys (Portland) are pretty good, I mean they played great,” Kings coach Reggie Theus said. “They shot lights out. I can’t even dissect the game tonight because I think we played OK and they just played great.”
Blake and Outlaw both made a pair of 3-pointers and joined Roy with eight third-quarter points for Portland, which outscored the Kings 37-18 in the period and rendered the Arco Arena crowd silent.
Aldridge feels the return of rookie center Greg Oden, who missed two weeks with an injury, and the continued development of Portland’s young players, is making a big difference of late.
“When we get our rhythm and continue to get better, this is what we’re capable of doing,” said Aldridge, who had six rebounds.
The Kings continue to play without leading scorer Kevin Martin, starting forward Mikki Moore, and top reserve Francisco Garcia. All three players have ankle injuries.
After opening the season with three straight wins at home, the Kings have dropped four straight, a rarity in the Sacramento era, where noisy Arco Arena has always been a tough place for opponents. The Kings had back-to-back two-point losses last week to Phoenix and San Antonio.
“When it rains it pours and that was definitely the case tonight,” Hawes said. “I don’t know how many 3s were going in. And the ones that weren’t were long rebounds it seemed like they were getting.”
76ers 89, Clippers 88
PHILADELPHIA — Elton Brand hit a 15-footer with 57 seconds left and finished with 17 points in his first game against Los Angeles, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to an 89-88 victory over the short-handed Clippers on Friday night.
The Clippers lost shortly after acquiring forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins from the New York Knicks for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.
Brand played his first game against the Clippers since signing a five-year deal worth around $80 million in July.
Lakers 104, Nuggets 90
LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 11 of his 29 points in the third quarter before sitting out the fourth and Andrew Bynum finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The defending Western Conference champion Lakers (10-1) are off to their best start through 11 games since the 2001-02 championship season, when they won 16 of their first 17.
Bulls 115, Warriors 110
OAKLAND, Calif. — Larry Hughes made five 3-pointers and finished with 26 points, and Chicago rookie Derrick Rose scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half.
Bucks 104, Knicks 87
MILWAUKEE — Charlie Villanueva tied a season high with 20 points in his return from injury.
Chris Duhon scored a season-high 20 for the Knicks, who dressed the league-minimum eight players after trading away three players in a pair of deals earlier Friday.
Celtics 95, Timberwolves 78
MINNEAPOLIS — In Kevin Garnett’s first game at Target Center since being traded before last season, he scored 17 points to help Boston cruise.
Al Jefferson scored 23 points for the Timberwolves. But he shot just 8-for-20 and the Timberwolves were shooting 23 percent heading into the fourth quarter before finishing at 31 percent.
Nets 129, Raptors 127, OT
TORONTO — Vince Carter scored 39 points against his former team, Devin Harris added 30 and New Jersey rallied from an 18-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Toronto.
Carter sent the game to overtime by draining a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining in regulation, capping a stretch that saw him score 12 straight points for the Nets.
The Raptors lost forward Jermaine O’Neal to a strained left knee when he was pulled down on a flagrant foul by New Jersey’s Sean Williams early in the fourth.
Mavericks 91, Grizzlies 76
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Jason Kidd had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Dallas got its first home victory of the season.
Rockets 103, Wizards 91
WASHINGTON — Tracy McGrady scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Houston added to Washington’s misery.
Antawn Jamison scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Wizards, whose 1-9 record is the franchise’s worst start since the 1966 Baltimore Bullets opened 1-10.
Magic 100, Pacers 98, OT
INDIANAPOLIS — Dwight Howard had 24 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks, and Orlando beat Indiana in overtime.
Howard blocked a potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation, then altered what would have been a game-tying shot in the closing seconds of overtime.
Spurs 119, Jazz 94
SAN ANTONIO — Roger Mason scored 29 points and San Antonio made 15 of 25 3-pointers.
Hawks 88, Bobcats 83
ATLANTA — Joe Johnson scored 30 points, Marvin Williams added 22 and Atlanta pulled away in the closing minutes for a sloppy victory over Charlotte.
Rookie D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats with a career-best 26 points.
Knicks deal stars
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks traded Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford in separate deals Friday, parting with their two top scorers to free up coveted salary-cap space for the summer of 2010.
Crawford was sent to Golden State for forward Al Harrington. Hours later, Randolph was shipped to the Los Angeles Clippers along with reserve guard Mardy Collins for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.
The Knicks gave up 40 points per game for a chance to cash in on something much bigger.
Knicks president Donnie Walsh has repeatedly said his goal was to get under the cap in time for a potentially sensational free-agent crop that could be headlined by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Steve Blake made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Blazers, who pulled away in the third quarter Friday night for their second straight lopsided victory, 117-94 over the struggling Sacramento Kings.
The Blazers, who conclude a stretch of seven of eight games on the road today in Phoenix, were coming off a 116-74 victory Wednesday over Chicago, their largest margin of victory since a 45-point win over Dallas in 1997.
“I’ve had lots of rest the last two games,” said leading scorer Brandon Roy, who scored 16 points in 27 minutes, failing to reach 20-point mark for the first time in eight games.
After shooting 59 percent in the opening half, the Blazers scored the final 10 points of the third quarter to open a 94-69 lead that was never dipped below 20 in the fourth.
“What a third quarter,” Portland coach Nate McMillan said. “We came out very aggressive and pushed the ball. We were very aggressive and made our shots. We quit turning the ball over and we controlled the boards, that is what paid off for us.”
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 19 points for the Blazers, who made 14 of 26 3-point attempts and shot 56 percent overall. Travis Outlaw made three 3-pointers and had 15 points, Rudy Fernandez made four threes and added 14 points, while Joel Przybilla contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Rookie Jason Thompson had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost three of four games. Brad Miller scored 16 points, Spencer Hawes had 15 and Bobby Brown added 11.
The Kings will get a quick opportunity for redemption. After visiting the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the Kings fly to Portland for a Monday game at the Rose Garden, where the Blazers are 4-0 this season.
“These guys (Portland) are pretty good, I mean they played great,” Kings coach Reggie Theus said. “They shot lights out. I can’t even dissect the game tonight because I think we played OK and they just played great.”
Blake and Outlaw both made a pair of 3-pointers and joined Roy with eight third-quarter points for Portland, which outscored the Kings 37-18 in the period and rendered the Arco Arena crowd silent.
Aldridge feels the return of rookie center Greg Oden, who missed two weeks with an injury, and the continued development of Portland’s young players, is making a big difference of late.
“When we get our rhythm and continue to get better, this is what we’re capable of doing,” said Aldridge, who had six rebounds.
The Kings continue to play without leading scorer Kevin Martin, starting forward Mikki Moore, and top reserve Francisco Garcia. All three players have ankle injuries.
After opening the season with three straight wins at home, the Kings have dropped four straight, a rarity in the Sacramento era, where noisy Arco Arena has always been a tough place for opponents. The Kings had back-to-back two-point losses last week to Phoenix and San Antonio.
“When it rains it pours and that was definitely the case tonight,” Hawes said. “I don’t know how many 3s were going in. And the ones that weren’t were long rebounds it seemed like they were getting.”
76ers 89, Clippers 88
PHILADELPHIA — Elton Brand hit a 15-footer with 57 seconds left and finished with 17 points in his first game against Los Angeles, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to an 89-88 victory over the short-handed Clippers on Friday night.
The Clippers lost shortly after acquiring forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins from the New York Knicks for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.
Brand played his first game against the Clippers since signing a five-year deal worth around $80 million in July.
Lakers 104, Nuggets 90
LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 11 of his 29 points in the third quarter before sitting out the fourth and Andrew Bynum finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The defending Western Conference champion Lakers (10-1) are off to their best start through 11 games since the 2001-02 championship season, when they won 16 of their first 17.
Bulls 115, Warriors 110
OAKLAND, Calif. — Larry Hughes made five 3-pointers and finished with 26 points, and Chicago rookie Derrick Rose scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half.
Bucks 104, Knicks 87
MILWAUKEE — Charlie Villanueva tied a season high with 20 points in his return from injury.
Chris Duhon scored a season-high 20 for the Knicks, who dressed the league-minimum eight players after trading away three players in a pair of deals earlier Friday.
Celtics 95, Timberwolves 78
MINNEAPOLIS — In Kevin Garnett’s first game at Target Center since being traded before last season, he scored 17 points to help Boston cruise.
Al Jefferson scored 23 points for the Timberwolves. But he shot just 8-for-20 and the Timberwolves were shooting 23 percent heading into the fourth quarter before finishing at 31 percent.
Nets 129, Raptors 127, OT
TORONTO — Vince Carter scored 39 points against his former team, Devin Harris added 30 and New Jersey rallied from an 18-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Toronto.
Carter sent the game to overtime by draining a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining in regulation, capping a stretch that saw him score 12 straight points for the Nets.
The Raptors lost forward Jermaine O’Neal to a strained left knee when he was pulled down on a flagrant foul by New Jersey’s Sean Williams early in the fourth.
Mavericks 91, Grizzlies 76
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Jason Kidd had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Dallas got its first home victory of the season.
Rockets 103, Wizards 91
WASHINGTON — Tracy McGrady scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Houston added to Washington’s misery.
Antawn Jamison scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Wizards, whose 1-9 record is the franchise’s worst start since the 1966 Baltimore Bullets opened 1-10.
Magic 100, Pacers 98, OT
INDIANAPOLIS — Dwight Howard had 24 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks, and Orlando beat Indiana in overtime.
Howard blocked a potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation, then altered what would have been a game-tying shot in the closing seconds of overtime.
Spurs 119, Jazz 94
SAN ANTONIO — Roger Mason scored 29 points and San Antonio made 15 of 25 3-pointers.
Hawks 88, Bobcats 83
ATLANTA — Joe Johnson scored 30 points, Marvin Williams added 22 and Atlanta pulled away in the closing minutes for a sloppy victory over Charlotte.
Rookie D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats with a career-best 26 points.
Knicks deal stars
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks traded Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford in separate deals Friday, parting with their two top scorers to free up coveted salary-cap space for the summer of 2010.
Crawford was sent to Golden State for forward Al Harrington. Hours later, Randolph was shipped to the Los Angeles Clippers along with reserve guard Mardy Collins for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.
The Knicks gave up 40 points per game for a chance to cash in on something much bigger.
Knicks president Donnie Walsh has repeatedly said his goal was to get under the cap in time for a potentially sensational free-agent crop that could be headlined by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
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