Trail Blazers-Jazz Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Jan 31 2013 7:25PM

Aside from one historic setback, the Utah Jazz have recaptured their early season success on their home court.

That's doesn't bode well for the Portland Trail Blazers, who have had a difficult time closing out wins on the road.

The Jazz will try for their eighth win in nine games at home Friday night when they take on the Northwest Division rival Trail Blazers in the first of four meetings over the next two months.

Utah (25-21) also looks to stay ahead of Houston and Portland (23-22) in a three-way fight for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.

Following a franchise-worst 125-80 home defeat to the Rockets on Monday, the Jazz responded with a 104-99 victory over New Orleans in Salt Lake City two days later.

"It's tough to let a game like that go," forward Paul Millsap said. "You have to move on and put one foot ahead of the other and keep pushing."

Utah won seven of eight - including victories over Miami and Indiana - at home in January. The Jazz went 10-4 during the month as they bounced back nicely from a rough stretch of seven losses in nine games at the end of December.

Now Utah will try to carry that momentum into its first home date in February against a Portland team that has dropped three straight on the road.

The Trail Blazers, however, have won three of four overall after a season-worst six-game losing streak.

Portland hopes to build on its dramatic 106-104 victory over Dallas on Tuesday. LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and 13 rebounds and hit the buzzer-beating jumper as the Blazers rallied from a 21-point third-quarter deficit.

Aldridge, named an All-Star reserve, will try to stay hot after averaging 25.0 points on 21-of-34 shooting and 12.0 rebounds in his last two.

"He is an All Star," forward Nicolas Batum said. "He's a go-to guy."

J.J. Hickson also came up big with a season-best 26 points and 15 boards Tuesday. The veteran big man has averaged 16.6 points on 65.4 percent shooting over his last eight games.

Guard Wesley Matthews could be a factor against the Jazz, having scored 22.7 per game in the last three meetings.

Portland has averaged 102.3 points on 49.4 percent shooting in three straight home wins but has scored 93.0 points per game while hitting 42.9 percent from the floor in dropping four of six on the road.

The Trail Blazers will try to turn that around against the Jazz, who have been getting solid contributions from Millsap. He is averaging 20.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in Utah's last three wins.

Third-leading scorer Gordon Hayward, who has missed the last two games, is doubtful with a sprained shoulder.

The Jazz are averaging 101.2 points at home, and they may be able to find some opportunities against the Trail Blazers, who allow 101.3 per game on the road.

Utah has won four straight against Portland after sweeping the season series in 2011-12.

Jefferson leads Jazz past Blazers 86-77

Posted Feb 02 2013 12:48AM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) When all else fails, the Utah Jazz just clear the way for Al Jefferson.

Jefferson had 21 points, including two one-handed shots in the lane, to help the Jazz beat Portland 86-77 on Friday night.

"You get him the ball in the post one-on-one against anybody in this league and we feel good about our chances," Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said.

Paul Millsap added 15 points for the Jazz, who have won eight of their last nine home games.

"We pretty much controlled the whole game," said Jefferson, who had 10 rebounds for his 22nd double-double of the season. "They made a little run and we knew before long they were going to do that."

That little run put a scare into the Jazz. LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 16 points and 10 rebounds, made a putback to cap nine consecutive points by the Blazers and draw Portland within six at 78-72 with 5:28 remaining.

Alec Burks finally snapped the string of seven straight missed shots by Utah with a tip-in, but Damian Lilliard hit a 3-pointer make it 80-75 with 3:57 to play.

"Portland is an explosive team," Corbin said. "They are capable of scoring a lot of points in a short period of time."

But that's all the Blazers could muster down the stretch. Though the Jazz struggled to score, the Blazers came up empty on six straight possessions with two turnovers and four missed shots.

"We fought so hard to get back that I think we ran out of gas when it was time to turn it up again," said Lilliard, who played collegiately at Weber State in nearby Ogden and finished with 26 points.

The Blazers held the Jazz without a point for a span of 5:32 in the middle of the fourth quarter, but the Jazz made the shots down the stretch.

Utah finally clinched it on two free throws by Randy Foye and Jefferson's back-to-back push shots in the lane.

"My jumpshot wasn't falling, so I just kept trying to attack inside," Jefferson said. "They were double-teaming me from the cutting guy and then we finally made an adjustment as far as `don't cut.' So I had a chance to get going."

The Jazz center finally found the net to counter a 5-of-19 Jazz performance in the fourth quarter and came away with the win.

"What's encouraging is now Al is making passes to his teammates, so it's making it more difficult for teams to lock in on him," Corbin said pointing out that the Blazers did not double-team Jefferson on the final minutes.

Wes Matthews severely rolled his right ankle on a drive to the hoop in the third quarter and had to be helped off the court. He did not return. Locker room X-rays were negative, but it was not immediately known if he will miss any games.

The Blazers were on an upswing after a season-worst six-game losing streak. But they didn't have the offense this time to duplicate the 21-point comeback they had in a 106-104 victory over Dallas on Tuesday.

Utah's only blemish in the last nine games at home was a record-setting 125-80 loss to Houston. Like the Jazz, the Blazers are a different team away from home. Portland has averaged 102.3 points in three straight home wins, but has scored 90.7 points per game in dropping five of seven on the road.

"We had trouble scoring. We missed easy baskets, but you have those nights," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "They are a physical team in the paint and protect the paint very well so spacing becomes more important."

The Jazz and Blazers play all four of their season matchups in a two-month span, which may be good news for Utah's playoff hopes. Utah swept Portland last season and the same two teams face off Saturday night in Portland.

The Blazers are banged up and it's getting more dismal. Nicolas Batum scored just five points and often rubbed his sore right wrist in between plays.

While the Jazz fed Millsap and Jefferson in the post to the tune of 25 first-half points, the Blazers launched a bevy of errant jumpshots. The Jazz shot 61 percent on their way to a 51-36 advantage at the break.

"That's what we wanted to do. We wanted to come out, get to a good start and try punch them in the mouth early," Millsap said as the Blazers could never fully recover.

Notes: Lilliard received loud cheers in pregame introductions and when he made the first basket. "For them to cheer that loud when I came out meant a lot," the rookie said. ... Utah's Earl Watson left the court for the locker room with a sore leg in the first quarter and Millsap banged his left elbow and had to go to the bench for treatment in the third quarter. Both later returned but Watson didn't travel with the team so he could get an MRI on his lower right leg Saturday morning. ... Gordon Hayward, Utah's third-leading scorer, missed his third straight game with a right shoulder sprain and is doubtful for Saturday's rematch.

Notebook: Jazz 86, Trail Blazers 77

Andrew Aragon, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Feb 02, 2013 1:01 AM - Updated Sat Feb 02, 2013 1:01 AM

THE FACTS: Damian Lillard had the Utah Jazz hanging on for dear life, but the league's top rookie couldn't dig the Portland Trail Blazers out of a massive hole.

The Utah Jazz survived a spectacular second half by Lillard and hung on for an 86-77 victory over the Portland on Friday night. Al Jefferson had 21 points and 10 rebounds to help the Jazz overcome Lillard's 26 points.

Paul Millsap had 15 points for the Jazz, who have defeated the Trail Blazers five straight times and won for the eighth time in their last nine home games. LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Portland.

The two teams play again on Saturday night, but the Trail Blazers could be shorthanded as both starter Wesley Matthews and reserve Ronnie Price left Friday's game with right ankle injuries. Both players are former Jazzmen.

QUOTABLE: "I think we pretty much controlled the whole game. They made a little run. We knew before long they were going to do that. I think we responded well. We had to adjust to their offense because they have a shooting big and that's different for us. I thought we adjusted pretty well and got stops when we needed. As long as we keep doing that we will keep continuing to get better."
-- Al Jefferson

THE STAT: Portland's glaring lack of depth was magnified in its loss. The Trail Blazers' bench was outscored 28-10. Portland's reserves scored just two points in the fourth quarter while shooting 1-for-6. The Jazz, meanwhile, got a lift from DeMarre Carroll, who outscored the Portland bench by himself. He had 13 points. Derrick Favors was also solid for Utah with seven points, 12 rebounds and a blocked shot.

TURNING POINT: The Jazz took control of the game by playing stifling defense, forcing Portland to play catch-up the rest of the way. They took the lead for good in the first quarter by going on an 11-0 run during which the Trail Blazers missed 11 straight shots. That run put Utah ahead 25-17, and it later built a 17-point lead in the second quarter. The Jazz disrupted the Trail Blazers' timing throughout the first half and continuously contested shots. During a 15-minute stretch bridged by the first and second quarters, Portland missed 24 of 28 shot attempts. It saw a 17-14 lead turn into a 44-29 disadvantage during its cold spell.

HOT: The Jazz had one of their best offensive halves in the last few weeks in the first half. Utah scored 51 points and shot 61.1 percent in the first half. The Jazz shared the ball and made extra passes to get good looks. They pounded the ball inside, scoring 32 points in the paint in the first half. Jefferson, Millsap and Marvin Williams combined to shoot 15-for-20 in the first half. Millsap had 13 of his 15 points in the first half. Williams only scored eight points, but he shot 4-for-6 and played tight defense during his 27 minutes of playing time.

NOT: Portland was within striking distance of the Jazz in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get over the hump. Luke Babbitt missed three open looks at 3-pointers in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. The Trail Blazers trailed by eight after his last miss and he was pulled from the game shortly thereafter. Aldridge had an and-one opportunity with Portland down 78-72, but he missed his free throw to prevent the Trail Blazers from getting closer. On Portland's next two possessions, he had a turnover and missed a layup. For the Jazz, Randy Foye had a brilliant stretch where he made four 3-pointers in the third quarter. But those were all the baskets he made in an otherwise subpar shooting outing. He shot 4-for-17 and finished with 14 points.

QUOTABLE II: "It's one of those times where we put ourselves in a hole and we fought so hard to get back that I think we ran out of gas when it was time to turn it up again. So it was more of us putting ourselves in that position, so we got to do a better job of playing four quarters."
-- Damian Lillard

GOOD MOVE: Lillard must have realized his Utah counterparts at point guard -- Jamaal Tinsley and Earl Watson --- are nearly old enough to be his father, or at least a respected uncle. He attacked throughout the second half, scoring 20 of his 26 points while making seven of his last 11 shot attempts. He was comfortable and efficient in running the pick-and-roll and his jumper was mostly deadly after halftime.

BAD MOVE: The difference between the Jazz offense in the first half and the second half was marked. The efficient first-half offense was nowhere to be found after halftime, and especially in the fourth quarter. Utah played tentatively on offense, didn't attack and didn't share the ball. The Jazz had just one assist on five made baskets in the fourth quarter, and the dismal offensive execution nearly cost them the game. They went 5:32 without scoring a basket during a stretch in the fourth quarter.

NOTABLE: Matthews and Price were both limping in the team's locker room following Friday's game. Their status is listed as day-to-day. Gordon Hayward sat out his third straight game with a right shoulder strain. He will travel to Portland with the Jazz, but is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game. Watson left Friday's game with a sore lower right leg. He will get an MRI early Saturday, and then join the team in Portland.

UP NEXT: For the Trail Blazers, Saturday vs. Utah, Monday @ Minnesota, Wednesday @ Dallas. For the Jazz, Saturday @ Portland, Monday vs. Sacramento, Wednesday vs. Milwaukee.

• Trail Blazers: Freeland, Williams
• Jazz: Bell, Williams

• Trail Blazers: --
• Jazz: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
• Officials: #14 Ed Malloy, #30 John Goble, #52 Scott Twardoski
• Attendance: 19512
• Duration: 2:06