Suns-Trail Blazers Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Dec 21 2012 9:02PM

The Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns are both riding season-high four-game winning streaks.

If Portland is going to extend its run - and post its seventh consecutive home win in this matchup - on Saturday night, it might have to do so without LaMarcus Aldridge.

Since falling 98-80 to Sacramento on Dec. 8 to open a season-high six-game homestand, the Trail Blazers (12-12) have regrouped to climb back to the break-even point.

Portland, though, might be without Aldridge, averaging a team-best 21.0 points with 8.0 rebounds, for a second straight game after he rolled his ankle late in Sunday's 95-94 victory over New Orleans. Nicolas Batum scored 22, Wesley Matthews added 20 and J.J. Hickson posted his sixth consecutive double-double with 18 and 18 rebounds in Thursday's 101-93 win over Denver, but the Blazers yielded 74 points in the paint without their big man.

"That was tough, but hopefully I'll play tomorrow," Aldridge said on Friday after going through a light workout.

If he doesn't, Hickson is confident that the Blazers can continue their winning ways.

"We all took it upon ourselves individually to step up and not do anything out of the ordinary, but just do a little bit more and it would make up for him not playing," he said.

With Hickson sidelined (left shoulder sprain), Aldridge did not fare well against center Marcin Gortat and the Suns' frontcourt in a 114-87 loss at Phoenix on Nov. 21. Aldridge finished with a season-low 12 points and seven rebounds in that contest, while Gortat had 22 points and seven boards in three quarters of work.

The Suns, who shot a season-best 59.7 percent in that contest, made 51.2 percent of their shots in a 104-92 preseason victory over the Blazers on Oct. 12.

"I don't know (why we've struggled against them)," said rookie guard Damian Lillard, who led Portland with 24 points in last month's game. "When we play them, they just make shots. We played them at their place both times and they're one of those teams that play really well at home."

Phoenix (11-15), though, has lost its last five away from home and was routed 109-71 - the Suns' most lopsided defeat of 2011-12 - in its last game at Portland on Jan. 27.

However, the Suns are hoping to build off a 4-1 homestand that ended with Wednesday's 121-104 victory over Charlotte. Phoenix set season highs for points, 3-pointers (17) and assists (31).

"The ball was circling around, everybody got their touches and we were making shots," point guard Goran Dragic told the Suns' official website after scoring 21 points with a season-high 11 assists. "SB (Shannon Brown) was huge tonight (with five 3s and a season-best 26 points) and our defense was solid."

The Suns, who last won five straight from Jan. 12-21, 2011, are holding teams to 89.5 points per game during their current surge.

The Blazers are surrendering 87.8 per contest since their last defeat.

The home team has won the last four matchups between these teams. Those games have been decided by 25, 38, 18 and 27 points.

Portland beats Suns 96-93 for fifth straight win

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Posted Dec 23 2012 1:54AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Those naysayers who don't believe the Portland Trail Blazers will have much success in a rebuilding season might have it all wrong, at least according to Damian Lillard.

The NBA's reigning Rookie of the Month had 25 points and seven assists as the Blazers pulled above .500 (13-12) with a 96-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. Eighteen of Lillard's points came in the second half.

It was Portland's fifth straight win - the team's longest streak since February 2011 when they won six in a row.

"It lets us know we're going in the right direction," Lillard said. "For us to be able to come from four games below .500 and be able to get on a winning streak and get it done, I think it says a lot about where we're headed."

J.J. Hickson had 19 points and 15 rebounds for his seventh straight double-double, and Nicolas Batum had 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. While it is only December, the Blazers are in the thick of the Western Conference race.

"I'm not going to say we're that good but I think we're capable of being a playoff team as long as we keep doing what we're doing," Lillard said.

Sasha Pavolic and Lillard made consecutive 3-pointers as Portland pulled in front 92-85 with 4:02 left. The Suns got to within 94-91 on Marcin Gortat's layup with 1:24 to go.

After Lillard's 19-foot, step-back jumper, Jared Dudley had a layup for the Suns to make it 96-93. Phoenix furiously tried to get off a shot in the final seconds, but Goran Dragic missed a 3-pointer, and Shannon Brown missed a short jumper.

"We had a timeout left. We had an opportunity to go down, and I thought we could get a quick two with a timeout left," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "Then we peeled off and started looking for a three, and just never got the timeout called."

Gortat had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Suns, who led by as many as 12 points in the first half. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Phoenix.

Portland welcomed back LaMarcus Aldridge, who leads the team with an average of 21 points and eight rebounds per game. The All-Star forward sprained his left ankle in the final minute of a win over New Orleans last Sunday and missed the Blazers' 101-93 victory over Denver on Thursday.

Shooting guard Wesley Matthews also started for the Blazers, despite ongoing hip pain, but played only a short time. Matthews said that had the game been scheduled for Friday, he wouldn't have been able to go.

Matthews came out of the game with 2:11 left in the first quarter and headed for the locker room. He didn't return, and the Blazers announced after the game that he would not accompany the team to Sacramento for Sunday night's game against the Kings.

Former Blazer Sebastian Telfair's steal led to a pull-up 3-pointer that gave the Suns a 41-35 lead midway through the second quarter. Another former Blazer, Jermaine O'Neal, pushed the lead to 47-35 with a jumper and a pair of free throws to cap a 14-2 Phoenix run.

Luis Scola's 19-foot jumper made it 53-44 for the Suns at the break, but Portland jumped out in the second half and got as close as 63-62 after a long jumper from Lillard.

The Suns answered with a 10-1 run to make it 73-63, but the Blazers again caught up. Lillard's hook shot tied it with 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

Lillard, the No. 6 pick in the NBA draft out of Weber State, went into the game leading rookies with 18.5 points per game. He has 14 games this season with at least 20 points.

Hickson's dunk and free throw to open the fourth quarter gave the Blazers a 78-75 lead. Ronnie Price's layup gave the Blazers an 84-83 edge with 6:28 left, and Lillard added a pair of free throws.

O'Neal is impressed by Lillard, who had 24 points against the Suns earlier this season.

"It's funny because you can't read his face. Sometimes the light which is the glare of being a rookie in the NBA becomes so bright that you see it affect some of the guys emotionally or physically," O'Neal said. "He does a great job keeping his demeanor. He loves the big shot, obviously, he took some big ones. I think he's definitely the future of this team."

The Suns were coming off a 121-104 victory over Charlotte on Wednesday night.

NOTES: Hickson's seven consecutive double-doubles are a career high. The last Blazers player with seven straight was Arvydas Sabonis, from Nov. 4-17, 1997. ... Portland has won seven consecutive regular-season home games against the Suns. ... The Suns beat the Blazers 114-87 earlier this season. ... Dudley had a career-high 10 assists.

Notebook: Trail Blazers 96, Suns 93

Kerry Eggers, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Dec 23, 2012 1:44 AM - Updated Sun Dec 23, 2012 1:50 AM

THE FACTS: Rookie Damian Lillard scored a game-high 25 points -- including a critical jump shot in the final minute -- and dished out seven assists as Portland pulled out a 96-93 victory Saturday night at the Rose Garden. It was the fifth straight victory for the Trail Blazers (13-12), who closed out a six-game homestand with a 5-1 mark to push their record above .500 for the first time since they were 2-1 on Nov. 3.

J.J. Hickson collected 19 points and 15 rebounds, LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and nine rebounds and Nicolas Batum contributed 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Blazers. Marcin Gortat had 18 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix (11-16), which saw the end to a four-game win streak.

QUOTABLE: "We found a way to win. Our rebounding in the second half -- the fourth quarter, particularly -- was very good, and we held [the Suns] to 40 percent shooting the second half. We were able to play in a flow. Damian made some big shots down the stretch, but our defense gave our offense some momentum."
-- Portland coach Terry Stotts

THE STAT: Portland outrebounded Phoenix 45-32, the Blazers' largest rebounding advantage in a game this season.

TURNING POINT: Back-to-back 3-pointers by Sasha Pavlovic and Lillard gave Portland, clinging to a one-point lead, a 92-85 edge with 4:02 left. As it turned out, it provided just enough cushion.

QUOTABLE II: "We were right there. We just had to come up with a couple of plays, which has been our [mode of operation] for most of the year."
-- Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry

HOT: Lillard was 6-for-9 from the field -- including 2-for-3 from 3-point range -- and scored 18 of his points in the second half.

NOT: Batum, who made 4-for-12 shots -- 2-for-9 3-point attempts -- and had a career-high seven turnovers.

GOOD MOVE: Wesley Matthews, who has been dealing with a hip injury over the past two weeks, started but departed after 10 scoreless minutes. He needs to give the hip more time to heal.

BAD MOVE: The Suns had a chance to tie after a rebound with Portland in front 96-93 and 17 seconds. Eschewing the opportunity to call a timeout, they passed the ball around until Goran Dragic was forced to heave up a desperation three from the top that banked off the glass just before the buzzer sounded. "I thought we could get a quick two," Gentry said. "Then we peeled off and started looking for a three, and just never got the timeout called."

QUOTABLE III: "This is our third chance to get over .500. To finally get it done felt good. To go four games below .500 and get on a winning streak and get it done -- it says a lot about where we're going."
-- Damian Lillard

NOTABLE: Portland is on its first five-game win streak since February 2011.

UP NEXT: For the Suns, Sunday vs. L.A. Clippers, Wednesday vs. New York, Friday @ Indiana. For the Trail Blazers, Sunday @ Sacramento, Wednesday vs. Sacramento, Friday at L.A. Lakers.

• Suns: Frye, Garrett
• Trail Blazers: Smith, Williams

• Suns: --
• Trail Blazers: --

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Rose Garden, Portland, OR
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #20 Leroy Richardson, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 19746
• Duration: 2:09