Bayless leads Trail Blazers to win over Suns

[December 18, 2009]  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Jerryd Bayless had a career-high 29 points and made three free throws in the final 9 seconds, and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame a 15-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 105-102 on Thursday night.

Brandon Roy added 27 points and eight rebounds for the injury plagued Blazers, who have won two in a row after dropping six of eight games. LaMarcus Aldridge and Martell Webster each had 15 points and seven rebounds.

Bayless made two free throws with 8.9 seconds left to give Portland a 104-100 lead. Steve Nash drove to the hoop to cut the lead to two points. Bayless was then fouled with 4.0 seconds left and had a chance to put the game out of reach but he made just one of two fouls shots.

That gave the Suns a chance to tie, but Nash's off-balance 3-point shot bounced off the rim as time expired.

Amare Stoudemire had 27 points and Grant Hill scored 20 points for the Suns, who have lost six straight on the road for the first time since Jan. 28 to Feb. 20, 2004. Channing Frye had 17 points and Nash had 16 points, 13 assists and five rebounds.

Portland center Greg Oden, who broke his left kneecap during a game against Houston on Dec. 5, spoke to reporters at the Blazers' practice facility earlier Thursday.

"I'm definitely going to put just as much effort (into) coming back as soon as possible," the former No. 1 draft pick said. "It's a difficult situation and it's frustrating, but I've got to keep my head together. Just like I did before."

The Blazers were granted a hardship exemption by the NBA because of all the injures this season and earlier Thursday they singed 6-foot-9 forward Anthony Tolliver from the team's NBA Developmental League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede. Tolliver has averaged 20.7 points and 9.9 rebounds this season.

The Suns were without Jason Richardson, who sat out with a sprained ankle. In his place, Goran Dragic, who had a career-high 18 against San Antonio on Tuesday, had just nine points on 3-of-7 shooting.

In the starting lineup for the second night, Andre Miller took an arm to the face from Hill and left in the second quarter. He returned in the second half but gave way to Bayless as the second-year point guard heated up, with 16 points in the fourth.

Hill had 13 points in the first quarter and former Blazer Frye had three 3-pointers in the second as Phoenix built an 11-point lead. Frye hit back-to-back 3s to make it 55-44.

The Suns extended their lead to 15 in the third after a pullup jumper by Steve Nash and driving layup by Alondo Tucker made it 79-64.

Steve Blake's 3 pointer cut the lead to 86-81 with 8:47 remaining in the fourth.

Bayless scored Portland's next eight points and then converted a lay-in to give the Blazers a 94-92 lead with 3:43 remaining. Roy drove to the hoop for a score and Bayless made a 3 to put Portland up 99-94.

Nash responded by hitting back-to-back 3s for the Suns to cut the lead to 102-100 with 33.8 seconds left.

NOTES: The Suns play 10 of their next 12 games at the U.S. Airways Center, where they are unbeaten this season. Phoenix has played an NBA-low nine home games this season. ... Portland presented former coach Jack Ramsay with a No. 77 "Rip City" jersey. Ramsay, 84, coached the Blazers from 1976-86, and coached the Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship. He was in town to provide the color commentary for Westwood One radio. ... Phoenix has lost 17 straight when playing a nationally televised game on TNT.

[Associated Press]

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