Trail Blazers-Cavaliers Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Dec 01 2012 12:55AM

The Portland Trail Blazers already have fallen to the NBA's worst team and suffered a pair of double-digit defeats during their disaster of a road trip.

After a thrilling victory, it doesn't appear the Cleveland Cavaliers will make things any easier for them.

Slumping Portland looks to get back on track by beating Cleveland for the fourth straight time Saturday night.

The Blazers (6-10) have lost the first four of their seven-game Eastern trip after falling 96-78 to a Boston team playing without suspended All-Star Rajon Rondo on Friday. They also lost to Brooklyn and Detroit before being the first victim of previously winless Washington on Wednesday.

LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 23 points Friday while former Cavalier J.J. Hickson and rookie Meyers Leonard added 11 apiece for the Blazers, who dropped to 2-7 on the road.

They were averaging 99.5 points prior to their trip, but they're scoring only 86.5 per game during their skid.

"We came out passive and they came out really aggressive," Aldridge said. "After the last game (with) everything they had going on, they had to set the tone early and they did."

Nicolas Batum finished 2 for 11 from the field with nine points and is shooting 31.0 percent over his last five games.

"Of course we're frustrated," Batum said. "The start of the season we played great, so we have to show some pride and (not) play ridiculous like we did (Friday)."

Portland got 22 points off the bench, but its reserves are averaging only 12.9 points - by far the worst mark in the league. The Cavaliers' bench isn't much better, though, ranking 28th with an average of 24.6 points.

Cleveland, though, ended a four-game losing streak after Alonzo Gee's putback with less than a second remaining gave it a 113-111 win at Atlanta on Friday.

"That was my first game-winning shot, and it's a great feeling," Gee said. "This was a big game for us. We really needed this win, and hopefully we can move on tomorrow and get another one."

Jeremy Pargo scored 22 points, Dion Waiters added 21 and Anderson Varejao finished with 20 and 18 rebounds for the second straight game for the Cavs (4-12), who set a season high for points after scoring only 78 in each of their past two games. They also improved to 2-4 since guard Kyrie Irving was sidelined with a fractured finger.

Coach Byron Scott was pleased with the victory, but he knows his team still has to improve considerably.

"We still made a lot of mistakes throughout the game, such as missing switches and allowing offensive rebounds," Scott said. "These are things we can't afford to let happen if we want to win more consistently."

Varejao has been doing his part, posting seven straight double-doubles. He has 11 games with at least 15 rebounds this season, and he leads the NBA with 15.1 per contest.

Aldridge scored 28 points and Wesley Matthews added 24 in a 98-78 home victory over the Cavs in the most recent matchup Jan. 8. The Blazers had lost seven straight in Cleveland before a 111-105 win Feb. 5, 2011.

Batum's 3-pointer lifts Blazers over Cavs in 2OTs

By STEVE HERRICK
Posted Dec 01 2012 11:49PM

CLEVELAND (AP) Nicolas Batum's first attempt at making the game-winning shot didn't count. He got it right the second time.

Batum's 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left in the second overtime gave the Portland Trail Blazers a 118-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

An apparent game-winning basket by Batum in the first overtime was disallowed because it came after time expired. The basket was first ruled good, but the call was changed after a video review. Batum, who celebrated after making that shot, got a chance to do it again and this time it was the winner.

"After the one in the first overtime was too late, I had to make sure this one counted," he said.

The game featured 16 lead changes and was tied 20 times.

"I feel great," Batum said "This was a good game to watch for all the fans."

Trailing 117-115 with 2.5 seconds remaining, Portland called time and inbounded near midcourt. Damian Lillard passed to Batum, who hit a fadeaway jumper from the right corner in front of Cleveland's bench.

"It was a tough shot, but I practice it every day," Batum said.

"Nic makes those shots all the time at practice and shootaround, so we weren't surprised," Lillard said.

Cleveland coach Byron Scott praised Batum for coming through in the clutch.

"Hell of a shot," Scott said. "He caught it and turned around. He was off-balance, threw it up and it went in."

With time only for a tip-in attempt, the Cavaliers couldn't get a shot off before time expired.

Lillard led Portland with 24 points while Batum added 22. Alonzo Gee paced the Cavaliers with 22 points, but missed a free throw that would have given them a three-point lead before Batum's shot.

Anderson Varejao had 19 points and 17 rebounds for his eighth straight double-double.

Portland put five players in double figures and improved to 1-4 on its seven-game eastern road trip. The Trail Blazers, who lost to Washington during the trip for the Wizards' only win of the season, have been in search for something positive.

"Breaking the losing streak was really important, because losing can take its toll mentally, and I liked the way we played all night," said Portland coach Terry Stotts.

Cleveland, which placed eight players in double figures, has lost 11 of 13.

The first overtime began with the scored tied at 91 and featured five lead changes and three ties.

"It shouldn't have went into the first overtime," Scott said. "We had about 30 mistakes defensively and when you have that many it's going to be hard to win basketball games."

Batum scored to give Portland a brief lead in the second OT, but Gee's 3-pointer put Cleveland ahead 114-113. Lillard followed with a basket for the Trail Blazers, but Tyler Zeller's jumper with 52.3 seconds left put the Cavaliers ahead again.

Following turnovers by both teams, the Trail Blazers missed on two attempts and Gee was fouled. He missed the first shot and made the second.

Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters left the game in the second overtime with an ankle injury. Varejao, the NBA's leading rebounder, dislocated his right ring finger in the first quarter. X-rays were negative and he returned midway through the second period.

Gee's basket off a missed shot tied the game at 103 with 6.7 seconds left in the first overtime. After Lillard missed a 20-footer, the ball was tapped out near the top of the key. Batum put up a shot that went in and was originally ruled good and the Trail Blazers began celebrating. However, replay showed the ball was still in Batum's hand when time expired.

With the Blazers down two late in regulation, Lillard missed, but Aldridge grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Varejao on his put-back attempt. Tristan Thompson was called for goaltending on the shot, a ruling that was upheld by a video review. Aldridge missed the free throw and the game remained tied at 91 with 36.8 seconds remaining.

The Cavaliers were called for a shot clock violation on their next possession. Portland called timeout with 12.8 seconds remaining. Lillard drove to the basket, but his shot hit off the glass. Aldridge's tip-in came after the buzzer and the game went to overtime.

NOTES: Batum left the game in the first quarter after being hit in the face, but returned in the second period. ... The Trail Blazers finish their trip against Charlotte and Indiana ... The Cavaliers haven't won two in a row since March of last season. ... Cleveland plays at Detroit on Monday.

Notebook: Trail Blazers 118, Cavaliers 117, 2OT

Brian Dulik, For NBA.com
Posted Sun Dec 02, 2012 1:11 AM - Updated Sun Dec 02, 2012 1:11 AM

THE FACTS: Small forward Nicolas Batum made a fadeaway 3-pointer from the right corner with 0.2 seconds left in double-overtime, giving the Portland Trail Blazers a 118-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Saturday night. Rookie point guard Damian Lillard paced Portland with 24 points and a career-high tying 11 assists, while Batum added 22 points and seven rebounds. Small forward Alonzo Gee scored 22 points for Cleveland, while center Anderson Varejao had 19 points, a game-best 17 rebounds and five assists. There were nine lead changes and six ties in the two five-minute overtime periods.

QUOTABLE: "Nic [Batum] makes those shots all the time at practice and shootaround, so we weren't surprised. But it was a big shot, no doubt."

-- Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard

THE STAT: NBA rebounding leader Varejao posted his eighth straight double-double -- grabbing eight offensive boards -- despite dislocating his right ring finger in the first quarter. The mop-topped Brazilian also became the second player in NBA history with eight consecutive games of 15-plus rebounds and five offensive boards, joining Houston center Moses Malone, who had 12 in a row in 1978-1979. Varejao is averaging 15.1 points and 15.3 rebounds in his ninth pro season, all of them with the Cavaliers.

TURNING POINT: Gee split a pair of free throws with 2.5 seconds left in double-OT to extend Cleveland's lead to 117-115, but that was more than enough time for the Trail Blazers. Lillard inbounded the ball at midcourt to Batum, who was running behind the 3-point line in front of the Cavaliers bench. The French sharpshooter took a quick stride, narrowly avoiding the sideline, and calmly buried a 24-footer.

QUOTABLE II: "The best thing about this game was my mom just got NBA League Pass installed today, so she watched me make the shot at 4 a.m. in France."

-- Trail Blazers small forward Nicolas Batum

HOT: Batum was initially credited with the game-winning basket at the end of the first overtime, but his putback of a Lillard miss was overruled on a video review by officials Ed Malloy, Mark Lindsay and Leon Wood. "After the one in the first overtime was too late, I had to make sure the second one counted," Batum quipped. "I feel great. This was a good game to watch for all the fans." ... Portland shooting guard Wesley Matthews collected 11 points and a career-high 10 assists, meaning the Trail Blazers' starting backcourt amassed 35 points and 21 assists. ... Cavaliers rookie center Tyler Zeller had 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. He also scored Cleveland's first six points in double-OT.

NOT: The Cavaliers have not won back-to-back games since March 9-11, 2012, a span that began 44 contests ago. ... Cleveland rookie shooting guard Dion Waiters shot 4-for-17 from the field and suffered a sprained left ankle with 1:49 left in double-OT. X-rays were negative, but he did not return. ... The Cavaliers committed 24-second violations on their final possession of the fourth quarter and their first possession of OT. ... Cleveland point guard Jeremy Pargo missed nine of his 12 field goal attempts. ... Portland center Meyers Leonard passed the basketball off the back of the backboard in the second quarter. ... The Trail Blazers are 1-4 on their seven-game, 11-day road trip.

QUOTABLE III: "I've never seen anything like this game with all those crazy shots going in. It was crazy, but it was great. It was great to be a part of it."

-- Trail Blazers center Joel Freeland

GOOD MOVE: Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts put the ball in Lillard's hands at the end of the fourth quarter and OT, but he missed a pair of 3-pointers. When Portland got a third opportunity to win the game at the end of double-OT, Stotts changed his strategy. He had Lillard throw the ball inbounds, where his primary options were Batum in the corner and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge in the paint. Lillard made the right choice and Batum made the shot. "Games like this are what we play for because they're so much fun," Lillard said. "It was fun for us and for the crowd.'"

BAD MOVE: Cavaliers coach Byron Scott played starting power forward Tristan Thompson for 38 minutes, but only received two rebounds from the second-year pro. Thompson also committed five fouls and made a very poor decision on Cleveland's final fourth-quarter possession, passing up an open wing jumper that resulted in a shot clock violation. "With all of the mistakes that we made in that game, it shouldn't have went into the first overtime," Scott said. "We were lucky and we played with fire basically the whole night -- and we got burned."

NOTABLE: Batum has followed the Cavaliers closely over the past two seasons, but he said Cleveland did not heavily recruit him when he was a free agent over the summer. "I heard those reports, too, but they didn't talk to me personally," Batum said. "My agent handles a lot of those things, but I did not speak to them. I do like their team and their style of play with Kyrie Irving, and they drafted Dion Waiters, and of course they have Anderson Varejao, so they have a lot of talent." ... There has never been a triple-overtime game at Quicken Loans Arena, which opened with the 1994-1995 NBA season. ... Cavaliers point guard Irving (left index finger fracture) again worked out on the arena's main court before the game. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year is expected to return to action in mid-December.

UP NEXT: For the Trail Blazers, Monday @ Charlotte, Wednesday @ Indiana, Saturday vs. Sacramento. For the Cavaliers, Monday @ Detroit, Wednesday vs. Chicago, Friday @ Minnesota.

• Trail Blazers: Claver, Williams
• Cavaliers: Irving, Jones

• Trail Blazers: --
• Cavaliers: --

• Lead Changes: 16
• Times Tied: 20

• Arena: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• Officials: #40 Leon Wood, #14 Ed Malloy, #29 Mark Lindsay
• Attendance: 16624
• Duration: 2:48