76ers-Trail Blazers Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Dec 29 2012 2:52AM

While they've struggled to win on the road, the Portland Trail Blazers have had few problems lately at home.

The Blazers will seek a seventh consecutive victory at the Rose Garden on Saturday night when they welcome the Philadelphia 76ers, who've lost 10 of 14 overall.

After winning six of its previous seven games, Portland (14-14) was hardly competitive in a 104-87 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The Blazers made only 3 of 19 attempts from 3-point range and shot 41.4 percent overall.

"They just outworked us from top to bottom and played harder than us," rookie guard Damian Lillard said. "And because of how aggressive they were, they made shots. They scored transition points, and they're not even a running team."

With 26 points, LaMarcus Aldridge was the only Portland player to score more than 11. He sat out the final 16 minutes of the loss after getting hit in the chest.

"I got hit on a soft spot on my chest. I came down and I couldn't really breathe," Aldridge said. "I'm a little sore and I'll probably be worse tomorrow, but I'll be OK."

Before starting a four-game road trip Tuesday, the Blazers will try to get back on track with their 10th win in 11 home games. Portland is also seeking its longest win streak at the Rose Garden since an eight-game run March 5-April 3, 2011, and it will get to face a team that had lost six in a row on the road before a 99-89 win over Memphis on Wednesday.

Philadelphia, though, couldn't build on that victory in its third stop on a season-high eight-game trip, falling 96-89 to Golden State on Friday. The 76ers (14-16) cut a 12-point deficit with 2:53 remaining to four with 24 seconds to go but couldn't get any closer.

"We just waited too long to come back," said forward Dorell Wright, who had eight points in his second straight start in place of the injured Jason Richardson after scoring 28 in Memphis.

Jrue Holiday had 21 points and 10 assists Friday and Thaddeus Young added 19 points and 10 rebounds. No other Philadelphia player, though, had more than 13 points in a 40.2 percent shooting performance.

The 76ers held the Blazers to 41.2 percent shooting in the most recent matchup between the teams on Dec. 26, 2011, at the Rose Garden. Portland, though, took 97 shots - 14 more than Philadelphia - in a 107-103 win.

Aldridge had a team-best 25 points in that victory and 18 in a 110-101 win over the 76ers on March 19, 2011, also in Portland. Wesley Matthews had 28 points in that game and is averaging 20.4 in five career matchups with Philadelphia - his most against any opponent - but he's missed the past three games with a strained left hip.

It's unclear if he'll be back as the Blazers attempt to win three straight in this series for the first time since Jan. 10, 2001-Feb. 25, 2002.

Batum sends Blazers to 89-85 win over 76ers

By BY JOEL FOWLKS
Posted Dec 30 2012 1:49AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) From scoring to rebounding to passing to defense, Nicolas Batum did it all for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Batum had 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, Damian Lillard added 20 points and the Blazers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 89-85 on Saturday night for their eighth straight victory at home.

"He's doing what the team needs," Portland coach Terry Stotts said of Batum, "whether it's facilitating or scoring or rebounding."

Batum also shut down Jrue Holiday, who led Philadelphia with 29 points but went 1 of 5 from the field after Batum was switched onto him defensively.

Batum had already silenced Evan Turner (2-of-7 shooting for four points) when he asked Stotts to put him on Holiday in the fourth quarter.

"I kept saying to Coach, `Let me guard Jrue. He won't get those shots on me. He will not post me up,"' Batum said.

Holiday also had nine assists and nine rebounds for Sixers, who have lost eight of 10. Thaddeus Young, who added 17 points, was his only teammate to have a consistently good night.

Portland led 84-76 late in the game, but Young made two big baskets, including a three-point play to cut the lead to three. Spencer Hawes and Dorell Wright missed 3-pointers for the Sixers, however, and Batum hit three of four free throws to seal it.

Portland was playing for the second consecutive night and was coming off a 104-78 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers were also on a back-to back, having lost 96-89 to Golden State.

"We have to have a game where we're the team that jumps on early and survives a couple runs," Hawes said. "It takes more energy to be on the bottom side of a run trying to come back than it does to hold it."

Portland led by as many as nine in the first half and was ahead 49-44 at halftime but came out flat in the third quarter, missing seven of its first 10 shots. Meanwhile, Holiday scored 13 points in the quarter to push the Sixers into the lead. He hit a 3-pointer and then a jumper to put Philadelphia up 57-56.

Batum picked up the slack for Portland. He made two free throws and two 3s to take the lead back for the Blazers, who went into the fourth quarter up 70-67. Portland then opened the fourth with a 7-0 run to take a 10-point advantage.

"We haven't been a team that's come back in the fourth quarter yet this year," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "I think we've won one game when we were behind after three quarters."

J.J. Hickson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 points.

NOTES: Portland has won four of the last five matchups between the teams, including 107-103 over Philadelphia in their lone meeting last season. ... Blazers rookie C Meyers Leonard had to be helped to the locker room with ankle injury. ... Philadelphia G Jason Richardson returned to action after missing two games with a strained back. He scored five points. ... Blazers G Wesley Matthews missed his fourth straight game with a strained hip.

Notebook: Trail Blazers 89, 76ers 85

Stephen Alexander, For NBA.com
Posted Sun Dec 30, 2012 2:12 AM - Updated Sun Dec 30, 2012 2:12 AM

THE FACTS: The Trail Blazers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 89-85 Saturday night. The Blazers (15-14) went into the fourth quarter with a 70-67 lead, but then went on a 7-0 run that proved to put the 76ers (14-17) away and the game out of reach.

Nicolas Batum led Portland with 22 points and rookie Damian Lillard had 20. Jrue Holiday paced the 76ers with 29 points.

QUOTABLE: "We struggled to score [in the fourth quarter]. We haven't been a team that's come back in the fourth quarter yet this year. We've won one game when we were behind after three [quarters], and I don't think we've lost when we're ahead. We're a team that doesn't get points that easy."

--76ers coach Doug Collins on Philadelphia's late game struggles

THE STAT: Blazers center J.J. Hickson recorded his 18th double-double of the season (16 points, 13 rebounds). He is now tied with Dwight Howard for the third most double-doubles in the NBA this season.

TURNING POINT: A 7-0 run by Portland to begin the fourth quarter sealed it.

QUOTABLE II: "Philly does a nice job of dictating their tempo. It's hard to get out and run. We tried to with our rebounding and transition, but we can only dictate half the possessions of the game."

--Blazers coach Terry Stotts on the slow paced game

HOT: Starting at shooting guard in place of the injured Wesley Matthews (hip), Victor Claver scored a career high eight points. Seven of those points came in the first quarter, which helped Portland get off to a fast start.

NOT: The Blazers bench. Portland only got seven points from the four reserves who saw action Saturday: four points from Meyers Leonard, two points from Luke Babbitt and one point from Ronnie Price.

GOOD MOVE: After watching Holiday torch them for 27 points through three quarters, the Blazers asked forward Batum to guard him. Batum shut Holiday down in the final period, holding him to just two points.

BAD MOVE: Philadelphia guard Jason Richardson has been struggling with a sore back and was questionable for the 76ers at game time. Richardson may have come back too soon. In 21:58, Richardson went 2-for-5 from the field and scored just five points and recorded one assist.

NOTABLE: With 9:01 remaining in the game the Blazers' Leonard went up for a rebound and the Blazers No. 11 draft pick came down hard on his right leg. The video replay appeared to show Leonard's leg locking and bending backward. After the game, Leonard's X-rays came back negative. Portland has a history of watching the careers of promising young centers -- Bill Walton, Sam Bowie, Greg Oden -- end prematurely because of injury. Leonard had to be assisted off the court and into the locker room by Blazer medical personnel. The 7-foot-1, 251-pounder was unable to put any pressure on his leg. Leonard saw 16 minutes of action Saturday and scored four point.

UP NEXT: For the 76ers, Tuesday @ L.A. Lakers, Wednesday @ Phoenix, Friday @ Oklahoma City. For the Trail Blazers, Tuesday @ New York, Wednesday @ Toronto, Friday @ Memphis.

• 76ers: Bynum, Moultrie
• Trail Blazers: Matthews, Williams

• 76ers: --
• Trail Blazers: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Rose Garden, Portland, OR
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #18 Matt Boland, #42 Eric Lewis
• Attendance: 20569
• Duration: 2:02