|
 Still, they got another big outing from the current Western
Conference player of the week and a couple of timely treys when it
mattered most.
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 24 points hours after
being recognized by the NBA, lifting the Trail Blazers to a 105-94
victory over the Jazz on Monday night at EnergySolutions Arena.
"We got to the point where we said, 'All right, we need to get some
stops,'" Portland point guard Damian Lillard said. "We did what
we've been doing all season. ... We found a way to make some big
shots."
The Blazers didn't come close to duplicating the NBA record they set
from beyond the arc while hitting 17 of 23 3-pointers against Utah
on Friday. However, two Portland 3-pointers Monday delivered as big
a blow to the Jazz.
Back-to-back long shots from forward Nicolas Batum and Damian
Lillard helped the Blazers (18-4) hold off the Jazz (4-19) late in
the quick rematch.
Utah, which lost 130-98 in Portland on Friday, made a game of it in
the fourth quarter despite trailing by 15 points in the second half
and playing without injured starting big men Derrick Favors and
Marvin Williams.
After Utah trimmed Portland's lead to five on two free throws from
shooting guard Gordon Hayward, Batum swished a shot-clock-beating
3-pointer from 29 feet with 1:03 remaining.
"That's what happens when you're battling back, when you're
struggling," Jazz small forward Richard Jefferson said. "That was a
shot that kind of put it out of reach for us."
Lillard, who played college ball just north of the arena at Weber
State, followed that with a trey on the Blazers' next possession.
"It was kind of the game I expected," Blazers coach Terry Stotts
said. "We knew that Utah would come out and give us a good test
because they play well at home." Lillard, who received a loud ovation from his former college
fans, scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds. Center Robin
Lopez contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds, ex-Jazz guard
Wesley Matthews netted 16 points, and Batum finished with 11
assists, eight rebounds and seven points.
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Guard Alec Burks scored 20 points off the bench and center Enes
Kanter had 19 points for the Jazz, who lost their fourth
straight game.
However, the Jazz had a much better showing than they did
Friday, when they fell behind by a season-high 42 points in a
Rip City blowout.
"It was a better effort for the most part," Jazz coach Tyrone
Corbin said.
On this night, Portland only made six of 19 from long range, but
the final two proved decisive.
Aldridge opened the second half on a tear, hitting three long
jumpers in the first two minutes. That sparked an 8-2 spurt,
helping Portland go ahead 59-47 at the 9:57 mark of the third
quarter.
The Blazers stretched the lead to 15 points later in the period
after a 3-pointer from forward Dorell Wright and free throws
from forward Joel Freeland.
Portland led 85-71 with just over eight minutes remaining when
the Jazz started chipping away at the lead with an 11-4 run.
NOTES: The Utah Jazz will honor Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan
in a banner-raising ceremony on the night of Jan. 31 at
EnergySolutions Arena when the team hosts the Golden State
Warriors. During his 23 seasons as the Jazz's head coach, Sloan
led the team to two NBA Finals during the John Stockton and Karl
Malone era, seven division titles and 20 playoff appearances. He
finished his career ranked No. 3 in NBA coaching wins
(1,221-803). ... The arena gave Sloan, now the organization's
senior basketball adviser, a standing ovation when the
announcement was made Monday night. ... F LaMarcus Aldridge led
the Blazers to big wins over the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City
Thunder and Utah last week while earning his Player of the Week
award. His best game last week came in a Dec. 4 win over
Oklahoma City when he totaled 38 points, 13 rebounds, five
assists and two steals. It was the fifth time in Aldridge's
career he earned Player of the Week recognition.
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