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 Then the defending Eastern Conference champions folded like a
house of cards.
Trailing 48-43 at the half, Portland outscored Miami 33-16 in the
third quarter en route to 99-83 victory Thursday night at the Moda
Center.
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored 24 points and hauled in 12
rebounds, and guard Wesley Matthews added 18 points for the Trail
Blazers, who outscored the Heat 56-35 in the second half and won for
the sixth time in seven outings.
Guard Dwyane Wade led Miami (15-21) with 23 points and seven
rebounds. Forward Chris Bosh added 18 points, five rebounds and five
assists for the losers, who shot only 37.7 percent from the field,
including 3-for-14 from the 3-point arc.
"We played a very good defensive second half," Portland coach Terry
Stotts said. "We limited their points in the paint, offensive
rebounds and second-chance points. The third quarter made a big
difference. We got a rhythm to our shots, got out and played in flow
and picked up the pace of our game. The second half is the way we
need to play."
 Portland, which fell behind by 10 points in the second quarter,
rallied from a double-digit deficit to win for the 11th time this
season. The Blazers (28-8) are 11-6 in games in which they trailed
at halftime.
"Seems like we've been trying to see how many holes we can dig
ourselves out of," said Matthews, who scored 10 of his points in the
fourth quarter.
"We've done that a handful of times this year," said guard Steve
Blake, who had seven points and five assists off the Portland bench.
"We're a very good second-half team."
Miami was outscored by a collective 102-46 in its last three third
quarters.
"Sometimes it's a four-minute segment," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra
said. "This was the whole third quarter tonight.
"We've seen this movie. We can play against any team, anywhere, in
any building for 42 minutes. That ain't enough in this league."
Wade's 15 points propelled Miami into a 48-43 halftime lead.
Aldridge led Portland, which shot 38.8 percent for the half, with 12
points at the break.
The Blazers took the initiative at the onset of the third quarter,
center Chris Kaman scoring three straight baskets to key a 17-3 run
for a 60-51 advantage. Portland increased the difference to 71-59 on
Blake's 3-pointer with 1:15 left in the quarter. Forward Dorell
Wright's fadeaway jumper at the buzzer gave the Blazers a 76-64 lead
going into the final period.
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Matthews and guard Allen Crabbe knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers
for an 84-69 advantage. The Blazers increased the difference to
97-74 on another Matthews 3-pointer with 5:20 to play, and it was on
to garbage time.
"We're not the kind of team to get behind, but we get behind," Wade
said. "We haven't established together that we can hold the fort and
come back without it getting too far (out of hand)."
With Wade scoring nine first-quarter points, Miami carried a 23-18
lead into the second period. With center Hassan Whiteside -- who
finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots in 19
minutes -- providing a lift off the bench, the Heat extended the
advantage to 43-33.
Portland used a 6-0 run to slice the margin to 43-39, and Miami went
into intermission with a five-point edge.
NOTES: Portland coach Terry Stotts, with a quip about GM Neil
Olshey's contract extension: "It's certainly deserving. He's done a
tremendous job for the franchise at every step along the way -- free
agency, draft, hiring a coach." ... Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said
the shooting range of Blazers G Damian Lillard and F LaMarcus
Aldridge make it more difficult for the opposition. "You try to get
up into them and make them uncomfortable as much as possible,"
Spoelstra said, "but you're doing it two or three steps out further
than you're used to doing." ... With 36-year-old Chris "Birdman"
Andersen starting for the Heat, Spoelstra said he is mindful of
keeping the 13-year veteran's minutes down. "I like to keep him in
the wheelhouse I have him, but once you start him, it gets to be
more of a challenge," Spoelstra said. Andersen scored five points in
24 minutes Thursday.
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