Outlaw's fadeaway lifts Blazers past Pistons

[January 08, 2009]  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Travis Outlaw hit a fadeaway jumper with 8.9 seconds to go and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped Detroit's seven-game winning streak with an 84-83 victory Wednesday night.

Portland, which trailed by 14 points, went ahead 79-75 with 5:37 left on Steve Blake's 3-pointer. The Blazers led until Tayshaun Prince's layup with 2:54 left tied it at 79, and Detroit went ahead on Allen Iverson's layup.

LaMarcus Aldridge hit one of two free throws to cut it to 81-80 with 1:35 to go.

Kwame Brown's dunk put Detroit ahead 83-80, but Outlaw's hook shot kept Portland close.

Iverson missed a layup with 22.9 seconds to go before Outlaw hit his fadeaway, and then missed a jumper with 3.9 seconds left, ending the NBA's longest current winning streak.

Aldridge led the Blazers with 26 points, and Blake had 10 points and 10 assists.

Prince finished with 26 points for Detroit.

The Pistons, coming off an 88-87 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, were without center Rasheed Wallace, who missed his third straight game because of a sore right foot. Guard Richard Hamilton missed his sixth straight game with a groin injury.

The Blazers were without All-Star guard Brandon Roy for the fourth straight game. Roy, who averages 23 points, has a sprained right hamstring.

Portland has dropped its last two games without Roy, including a 100-86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Prince had 10 points for the Pistons in the first quarter.

Detroit led by as many as 14 points in the first half, but the Blazers showed energy just before the break when Rudy Fernandez's steal and dunk and Blake's 3-pointer narrowed it to 48-42.

The Pistons led it by 56-45 early in the second half, but Iverson got frustrated by two consecutive misses from the floor and a traveling call.

The Blazers trimmed the Pistons' lead to 60-54 on Aldridge's dunk. They got even closer when rookie Jerryd Bayless dunked to make it 64-62.

Outlaw and Sergio Rodriguez each made layups to start the fourth quarter to put Portland ahead for the first time, 69-68. It was short-lived, however, and Detroit went back in front on Arron Affalo's 3-pointer.

Notes: Wallace played for the Blazers from 1996-2004 and was part of the so-called "Jail Blazers" team that became more known for trouble off the court than for success on it. He had a particular disdain for the Portland media, and often replied to questions with the pat response: "Both teams played hard." ... Earlier this season, the Blazers defeated the Pistons 96-85 in Detroit. Aldridge had 27 points.

[Associated Press; By ANNE M. PETERSON]

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