Gooden leads Bucks past Blazers 116-87

[March 21, 2012]  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Drew Gooden scored 19 points and the Milwaukee Bucks beat Portland 116-87 on Tuesday night in the Trail Blazers' first home game since coach Nate McMillan was fired last week.

Carlos Delfino had 16 points, and Monta Ellis added 14 points and nine assists for the surging Bucks, who have won six straight.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers. The only other bright spot for Portland was Brandon Roy, who made his first appearance at the Rose Garden since his abrupt retirement at the start of training camp.

Roy, a three-time All-Star who left the game because of trouble with both of his knees, was unexpectedly sitting courtside and was wildly cheered when he was shown on the Rose Garden's video scoreboard. Team owner Paul Allen was among those who joined in the ovation.

The Blazers were coming off an eventful seven-game trip, during which they dismissed McMillan and traded forward Gerald Wallace and center Marcus Camby, both starters.

Interim Blazers coach Kaleb Canales, who started with the Blazers as a video intern in 2005, was greeted warmly by the home crowd when he when he was introduced to start the game, but his new team struggled defensively against the Bucks. Portland's backups were 2 for 29 against Milwaukee.

Two of the players acquired by the Blazers in a trade-deadline moves last week, guard Jonny Flynn and center Hasheem Thabeet, saw limited playing time late in the game.

The Bucks acquired Ellis, along with Ekpre Udoh and Kwame Brown from the Warriors in exchange for injured center Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson last week just before the trade deadline.

Ellis was a fan favorite in the Bay Area, and the deal angered fans who booed Warriors owner Joe Lacob during a halftime ceremony to retire Hall of Famer Chris Mulllins' jersey Monday night.

The fallout from the trade had been made all the worse when Ellis and the Bucks visited Oracle Arena two days after the deal and beat the Warriors 120-98.

The Bucks jumped ahead in the second quarter, led by Delfino, who hit two consecutive 3-pointers to put Milwaukee up 42-29 midway through the quarter. His layup stretched the lead to 48-32, and the Bucks carried a 54-43 lead into the break.

Delfino's jumper in the fourth quarter put Milwaukee up 90-64, and Portland fans began streaming for the exits.

NOTES: Blazers Guard Elliot Williams, who has missed six games with a shoulder injury, might need surgery. ... The Blazers held a moment of silence for Dick Harter, a veteran NBA assistant who died last week at the age of 81. Harter not only was an assistant coach for the Blazers under P.J. Carlesimo, he was the coach at Oregon when the Ducks ended UCLA's 98-game home winning streak in 1976.

[Associated Press; By ANNE M. PETERSON]

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