Magic-Trail Blazers Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Jan 06 2013 12:37PM

A visit to Portland might not offer the Orlando Magic the ideal opportunity to snap their longest skid in seven seasons.

The Magic look to avoid a ninth consecutive loss Monday night against the Trail Blazers, who are trying to win eight straight at home for the second time in three seasons.

Orlando (12-21) was riding a season-high four-game winning streak when starting forward Glen Davis was lost for at least four weeks after he sprained his left shoulder during a 90-83 win over Washington on Dec. 19. The Magic have not won since, allowing 104.6 points per contest during their eight-game skid - the team's longest since Feb. 6-22, 2006.

The Magic last lost nine in a row during a 13-game slide March 13-April 10, 2004.

"I told our guys that this is about different challenges throughout the course of the season and everyone wants to win - it's what makes us competitors," first-year coach Jacque Vaughn said.

Orlando has been competitive during the slide, losing five times by four points or fewer. It suffered two-point losses to both Miami and Chicago prior to Saturday's 114-106 home defeat to New York.

The Magic shot 48.2 percent, outrebounded the Knicks by five and led by eight heading into the fourth quarter.

"Clearly we have to learn how to win, if that makes sense," said guard Arron Afflalo, who shook off a hard fall to score 20 of his 29 points in the second half. "Coach is doing a great job in terms of the schemes of the game plan. We're definitely competing hard as players, but we need to learn how to win."

Jameer Nelson has done his part by totaling 61 points on 21-of-40 shooting over the last two games since missing the previous two with a strained hip. Nelson had 29 with eight assists Saturday, leaving him two assists shy of breaking Scott Skiles' franchise record of 2,776.

Nelson had 16 points and five assists when Orlando avoided a third consecutive defeat at Portland with a 107-104 victory Jan. 11.

The Magic could face a tougher challenge when opening a four-game trip at the Rose Garden, where the Trail Blazers (18-15) are 11-4 and allowing 88.6 points on 41.8 percent shooting over the last seven contests.

Portland, which last won eight straight at home March 5-April 3, 2011, returns home trying for a third consecutive victory overall after a 3-1 road trip. Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum combined to make 10 of the team's franchise record-tying 16 3-pointers Saturday at Minnesota, and each finished with 26 points as the Trail Blazers held on for a 102-97 win.

Portland - winner of 10 of 13 - saw its 22-point lead trimmed to two while giving up 36 points in the fourth quarter.

"If you shoot the 3 that well, you should probably win by more than five," coach Terry Stotts said.

Stotts' players, however, see the result as another example of their collective character.

"We're resilient, we can play," said Matthews, who has scored 47 points and gone 10 of 15 from beyond the arc in the last two games. "We're good. We can win. We're a playoff team."

Portland star LaMarcus Aldridge has recorded 47 points in the last two meetings with Orlando.

Trail Blazers beat Magic 125-119 in overtime

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Posted Jan 08 2013 1:58AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Wesley Matthews thinks the Trail Blazers are better suited for overtime.

That made it tough on the Orlando Magic, who were handed their ninth straight loss in Portland's 125-119 overtime victory on Monday night. The Blazers have won all five of their games that have gone into extra periods this season.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Matthews finished with 24 points - including a dunk that all but sealed it with less than a minute left.

Both teams were clearly exhausted by the end.

"It's alright. We'll take it," Matthews said. "For whatever reason, this team is built for overtime. I'd rather not go into it, I'd rather win it in regulation. But we dug deep."

J.J. Hickson added 20 points and 15 rebounds for his 20th double-double this season for the Blazers, who have won three straight overall and 11 of their last 14 games. It was Portland's eighth straight win at the Rose Garden.

Nicolas Batum, who finished with 16 points and 10 assists, said Portland's OT successes are a credit to how well the players have come to know each other.

"The way we play in overtime, we stay focused. We talk," Batum said. "We just stay together."

Aldridge hit a layup and a free throw that put Portland ahead 112-108 with 3:38 in overtime. After the Magic tied it at 112 on J.J. Redick's hook shot, Blazers rookie Damian Lillard made a pull-up jumper to reclaim the lead.

Lillard added a floater to extend it and Hickson had a fast-break dunk for a 118-112 lead. Matthews punctuated the run with his dunk with 54.9 seconds left and Portland cruised the rest of the way.

Redick led the Magic with 29 points, while Arron Afflalo had 24. Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Orlando held a slim 97-95 lead but Matthews hit a 3-pointer that put Portland ahead and Batum padded it with his own 3 with 3:01 left in regulation.

Jameer Nelson's rainbow 3-pointer kept the pressure on the Blazers, but Batum hit another 3-pointer to make it 106-101 with 1:14 to go.

Nelson made a pair of free throws and Vucevic added a jumper to close the Magic to 106-105. After Batum hit two foul shots with 16.8 seconds left, Nelson nailed a 3-pointer with 8.9 seconds left that tied it at 108 and sent the game into overtime.

"The games we're losing, we're in all of them," Nelson said. "They're close games and hard fought but we just keep coming up short."

It was the opening of a four-game road trip for Orlando, which has been mired in injuries along with its losses.

The team was again without power forward Glen Davis, who dislocated his left shoulder on Dec. 19 against Washington and has missed nine games. The Magic have not won a game without him. It was hoped that he may return at some points during the trip.

Point guard E'Twaun Moore missed his fifth game with a left elbow sprain. Reserve center Gustavo Ayon was not with the team because of a right thigh contusion.

"Our effort was unbelievable," Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "We didn't get the win but at the end of the day we put in the work. Tough loss, but our guys did some amazing things tonight. They deserved to win that game."

Blazers rookie center Meyers Leonard missed his fifth game with an injured right ankle.

The Magic went up 19-12 in the first quarter after Andrew Nicholson's dunk. But Aldridge made a 7-foot jumper and Matthews added a 3-pointer to narrow it, and Aldridge's turnaround jumper tied it a 21. Victor Claver's pull-up jumper gave Portland a 25-24 lead going into the second quarter.

Aldridge had 12 points in the first quarter alone.

But the Blazers had trouble maintaining any kind of lead throughout the game. After going up 46-43 with 4:03 left in the half, Orlando's Josh McRoberts hit a 3-pointer that touched off a 14-2 Magic run. Afflalo capped it with a layup that gave Orlando a 57-48 lead at the break.

Aldridge's layup with 4:53 left in the third that gave Portland a 71-70 lead. Matthews extended it with a layup.

But again, it was short-lived. Reddick hit two straight 3-pointers to hand the Magic back the lead at 88-87 with 10:51 left in the game.

Aldridge's layup pulled Portland into a tie at 93-all with 6:52 left. Afflalo kept the Blazers at bay with a layup and Nelson added a pair of free throws for the Magic.

Aldridge said the Blazers have developed a toughness.

"We don't get rattled," he said. "We know that if we keep playing defense and we stay the course we can win some games."

NOTES: The Blazers assigned guards Will Barton and Nolan Smith to their D-League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede. ... Orlando's Jameer Nelson had 12 assists, surpassing Scott Skiles as the Magic's all-time assists leader with 2,787. "It's great," Nelson said. "I just wish I could enjoy it more with a win." ... The Blazers last started a season 5-0 in OT games in 1986-87.

Notebook: Trail Blazers 125, Magic 119

Kerry Eggers, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Jan 08, 2013 2:41 AM - Updated Tue Jan 08, 2013 2:41 AM

THE FACTS: Portland used a 10-point run in overtime to take a 122-112 lead en route to a 125-119 victory over Orlando on Monday at the Rose Garden. It was the 10th win in 13 games for the Trail Blazers (19-15), who are an NBA-best 5-0 this season in overtime games.
Portland had four players with double-doubles -- LaMarcus Aldridge (27 points, 10 rebounds), J.J. Hickson (20 points, 15 boards), Damian Lillard (18 points, 10 assists) and Nicolas Batum (16 points, 10 assists).
J.J. Redick came off the bench for a season-high 29 points for Orlando (12-22), which lost its ninth straight game. Arron Affalo (24 points), Jameer Nelson (21 points, 12 assists), Nikola Vucevic (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Josh McRoberts (12 points, six rebounds, career-high eight assists) all had big games for the Magic.
QUOTABLE: "With the recent streak we've been on and our record as of late, we have a confidence and a swagger about us. We're accustomed to winning. We think we're going to win every game. That's the mentality you have to have in this league."

-- Portland's Wesley Matthews, who scored 24 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-7 from 3-point range.
THE STAT: Portland shot 51.1 percent from the field and scored a season-high 125 points, including 37 in the third quarter -- the most the Blazers have scored in any quarter this season.
TURNING POINT: With the score tied at 112, Lillard was in the middle of the 10-0 spurt in the extra session. The rookie point guard started it with consecutive baskets, then set up first Hickson, then Matthews for fast-break dunks. When Aldridge scored on a pair of foul shots, it was 122-112 and the Magic were goners.
QUOTABLE II: "We didn't get the win, but we came and put our work in. Our effort was unbelievable. Tough loss, but our guys did some amazing things tonight. They deserved to win that game."

-- Jacque Vaughn, Orlando's first-year coach
HOT: Redick, who came off the bench to bomb in 11 of 17 shots, including 6-for-10 from 3-point range.
NOT: Nelson, who was 2-for-12 before he began finding the range. He finished 7-for-21 from the field, including 2-for-11 from beyond the arc.
GOOD MOVE: The Blazers worked the ball inside to Aldridge and Hickson all night, leading to a 60-44 advantage in points in the paint.
BAD MOVE: Nelson kept bombing away from 3-point range instead of getting the ball to backcourt mates Afflalo and Redick, who were both in dead-eye mode.
QUOTABLE III: "We won one time, two times, three times in a row. Now, when we get into overtime, that's when we think the game is ours. That's just confidence."

-- Portland's Nicolas Batum
NOTABLE: It was Hickson's 20th double-double and Aldridge's 14th of the season. For Hickson, it was his 10th straight double-double at home. The last time four Blazers recorded double-doubles in a game was April 1998. ... Portland has won eight straight games at the Rose Garden.
UP NEXT: For the Magic, Wednesday @ Denver, Saturday @ L.A. Clippers, Monday @ Washington. For the Trail Blazers, Thursday vs. Miami, Friday @ Golden State, Sunday vs. Oklahoma City.

• Magic: Davis, Harrington
• Trail Blazers: Barton, Smith, Williams

• Magic: --
• Trail Blazers: Hickson

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 13

• Arena: Rose Garden, Portland, OR
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #47 Bennie Adams, #68 Marat Kogut
• Attendance: 19560
• Duration: 2:23