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Blazers blast past slumping Celtics
Source: Agencies |
January 1, 2009, Thursday
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THE road-weary Boston Celtics lost for the third time in four games when the Portland Trail Blazers scored a 91-86 upset victory over the defending NBA champions on Tuesday.
Steve Blake scored 21 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 for the Trail Blazers, who shot 45 percent and frustrated the Celtics for most of the game with their smothering defense.
Boston (28-5) started the season 27-2 but lost two straight at the start of its four-game western swing. The Celtics crushed Sacramento 108-63 on Sunday but ended the trip with another loss as Portland improved to 12-3 at home.
Aldrige was quick to downplay any significance of the upset win.
"It doesn't mean anything," Aldridge told reporters. "We're just trying to get better.
"Everybody played with confidence and played well tonight, that's all it was. We played really good defense."
The Trail Blazers needed a team effort as they were playing without All-Star guard Brandon Roy. The win snapped Portland's seven-game losing streak to Boston and pulled them into a tie for the Northwest Division lead with Denver.
"We had to step it up a notch," Blake said. "But if you're going to win a championship, you're going to have to step it up.
"We have a lot of talented guys that come to play each night and tonight wasn't any different."
Travis Outlaw had 17 points for the Trail Blazers, who trailed 40-45 at halftime. Greg Oden added 13 points and 11 rebounds despite injuring his ankle in practice on Monday.
Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 28 points while Kevin Garnett had 17 points and eight rebounds. Boston made just 3-of-14 three-point attempts and was out-rebounded 44-29.
"Down the stretch we just made bad plays," said Ray Allen, who scored 12 points in a losing cause for the Celtics.
"That's been the theme of the last three games we've lost," he said.
Despite the loss, the Celtics still lead the Atlantic Division by 12 games over the New Jersey Nets and the Conference standings by one game over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost 104-95 to Miami.
In San Antonio, Milwaukee hung on to beat San Antonio 100-98 when Spurs star Tim Duncan missed a layup with 3.8 seconds to go. Michael Redd had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who snapped San Antonio's five-game winning streak.
In Indianapolis, Joe Johnson scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help streaking Atlanta beat Indiana 110-104. The Hawks have won six straight games and nine of 10 to move within three games of Southeast Division leader Orlando.
It was the Pacers' fourth consecutive loss.
In Memphis, Tennessee, Shaquille O'Neal moved into eighth place on the NBA career scoring list as Phoenix beat Memphis 101-89.
The Suns were without star Steve Nash (back spasms) but Leandro Barbosa filled in admirably with 28 points. He connected on 10 of 18 shots and scored 22 points in the second half.
O'Neal had 24 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, and his fourth-quarter dunk moved him past Oscar Robertson on the career scoring list with 26,711 points.
O'Neal was 8-of-13 from the field.
In New Orleans, Chris Paul had 15 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season, and New Orleans beat Washington 97-85.
In Dallas, the home team pulled off the biggest rally in franchise history, coming from 29 points down to beat Minnesota 107-100.
Jason Terry scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half to lead the rally after the Mavericks had trailed 70-41 in the third quarter.
Dallas' first big push was a 22-2 run to get to 72-63. Terry scored 12 points as the Mavericks opened the fourth period outscoring the Timberwolves 22-7. It was the largest blown lead in Minnesota's history.
Elsewhere, it was: Knicks 93, Bobcats 89; and Kings 92, Clippers 90.
Steve Blake scored 21 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 for the Trail Blazers, who shot 45 percent and frustrated the Celtics for most of the game with their smothering defense.
Boston (28-5) started the season 27-2 but lost two straight at the start of its four-game western swing. The Celtics crushed Sacramento 108-63 on Sunday but ended the trip with another loss as Portland improved to 12-3 at home.
Aldrige was quick to downplay any significance of the upset win.
"It doesn't mean anything," Aldridge told reporters. "We're just trying to get better.
"Everybody played with confidence and played well tonight, that's all it was. We played really good defense."
The Trail Blazers needed a team effort as they were playing without All-Star guard Brandon Roy. The win snapped Portland's seven-game losing streak to Boston and pulled them into a tie for the Northwest Division lead with Denver.
"We had to step it up a notch," Blake said. "But if you're going to win a championship, you're going to have to step it up.
"We have a lot of talented guys that come to play each night and tonight wasn't any different."
Travis Outlaw had 17 points for the Trail Blazers, who trailed 40-45 at halftime. Greg Oden added 13 points and 11 rebounds despite injuring his ankle in practice on Monday.
Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 28 points while Kevin Garnett had 17 points and eight rebounds. Boston made just 3-of-14 three-point attempts and was out-rebounded 44-29.
"Down the stretch we just made bad plays," said Ray Allen, who scored 12 points in a losing cause for the Celtics.
"That's been the theme of the last three games we've lost," he said.
Despite the loss, the Celtics still lead the Atlantic Division by 12 games over the New Jersey Nets and the Conference standings by one game over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost 104-95 to Miami.
In San Antonio, Milwaukee hung on to beat San Antonio 100-98 when Spurs star Tim Duncan missed a layup with 3.8 seconds to go. Michael Redd had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who snapped San Antonio's five-game winning streak.
In Indianapolis, Joe Johnson scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help streaking Atlanta beat Indiana 110-104. The Hawks have won six straight games and nine of 10 to move within three games of Southeast Division leader Orlando.
It was the Pacers' fourth consecutive loss.
In Memphis, Tennessee, Shaquille O'Neal moved into eighth place on the NBA career scoring list as Phoenix beat Memphis 101-89.
The Suns were without star Steve Nash (back spasms) but Leandro Barbosa filled in admirably with 28 points. He connected on 10 of 18 shots and scored 22 points in the second half.
O'Neal had 24 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, and his fourth-quarter dunk moved him past Oscar Robertson on the career scoring list with 26,711 points.
O'Neal was 8-of-13 from the field.
In New Orleans, Chris Paul had 15 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season, and New Orleans beat Washington 97-85.
In Dallas, the home team pulled off the biggest rally in franchise history, coming from 29 points down to beat Minnesota 107-100.
Jason Terry scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half to lead the rally after the Mavericks had trailed 70-41 in the third quarter.
Dallas' first big push was a 22-2 run to get to 72-63. Terry scored 12 points as the Mavericks opened the fourth period outscoring the Timberwolves 22-7. It was the largest blown lead in Minnesota's history.
Elsewhere, it was: Knicks 93, Bobcats 89; and Kings 92, Clippers 90.
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