|
Roy returns, helps Blazers beat Lakers
2008-03-01
Brandon Roy returned after missing two games with a sprained right ankle and had 20 points and 12 assists, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 119-111 victory Friday night over the Los Angeles Lakers, who had their 10-game winning streak snapped. LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points for Portland, which also snapped the Lakers' seven-game winning streak on the road. Portland went up 96-90 early in the fourth, but Sasha Vujacic's 3-pointer tied it at 100 midway through the quarter. Vujacic nailed another 3-pointer to tie it at 107 with 3:05 left, but the Lakers could never grab the lead. Roy hit a pair of free throws, and Travis Outlaw hit a jumper to make it 111-107 with 2:14 left. Aldridge added a pair of free throws to extend it. Kobe Bryant missed a 3-pointer with less than a minute to go. Roy and Jarrett Jack hit four straight shots from the line to give Portland its biggest lead, 117-107, and seal the win. Bryant had 33 points for the Lakers, who have lost five straight at the Rose Garden. Jarrett Jack had 21 points and 10 assists for the Blazers, who were coming off an 82-80 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. A day earlier, Portland lost 96-83 at the Lakers at the Staples Center. The Blazers also saw the return of 3-point specialist James Jones, who has been out since before the All-Star break with left knee soreness. The Blazers are 23-12 when Jones plays and 8-14 when he doesn't. Jones finished with eight points. The Lakers led by as many as 10 points early, but the Blazers closed to 32-27 at the end of the first quarter. Joel Przybilla's dunk pulled Portland to within 37-35, but after Przybilla fouled Bryant on the other end, the two exchanged words. Przybilla ended up with a technical. Portland was unable to pull ahead until Steve Blake hit consecutive 3-pointers make it 60-57. Portland led 64-59 at the half. Notes:@ The Blazers have played on Feb. 29 six times, all at the Rose Garden. ... Among those in the crowd track was U.S. track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Anthony Kiedis, lead singer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. ... The Lakers' 10-game streak was their longest since then won 11 in the 2003-04 season. ... The seven-game streak on the road was the longest since a seven-game streak from March 17-April 5, 2000.
| 
