Recap: Minnesota vs. Portland
Sports Network | November 15, 2008
Minnesota, MN (Sports Network) - Brandon Roy led the way with 24 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 88-83, at Target Center.
Greg Oden added a career-high 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots for the Blazers, who have won five of six. Steve Blake added 10 points, while Joel Przybilla also had 10 points and eight rebounds in the win.
Al Jefferson scored a game-high 26 points for the Timberwolves, who have lost seven straight since winning their opener. Mike Miller and Randy Foye contributed 10 points apiece, while Kevin Love added eight points in the loss.
Down 71-65 to start the fourth, the Blazers scored six of the quarter's first eight points to close to within two. Blake's jumper with just over four minutes left tied the game at 77.
Oden's emphatic dunk with 2:58 left gave Portland its first lead since the end of the first quarter, but Jefferson knotted the game at 81 with a short layup.
Roy gave the Blazers an 84-83 lead with just over a minute to go, and he made a steal on the next possession and dunked it for a three-point edge with 49.0 seconds left.
Jefferson's hook shot attempt went off the front of the rim, and Portland grabbed the rebound. Outlaw's desperation heave from the corner as the shot clock expired was good, and the Blazers were able to pull out the victory.
LaMarcus Aldridge, Roy and Rudy Fernandez all had six points for Portland in the first quarter, and the visitors held a slim 27-25 edge heading into the second.
Minnesota used a 10-2 run in the middle of the second period to take a 51-41 halftime lead. Jefferson paced the Timberwolves in the first half with 10 points, as the hosts held Portland to just 14 points in the frame.
Roy and Oden each had five points for the Blazers in the third quarter, and Portland went into the fourth down by six.
Portland has defeated Minnesota in each of their last six meetings...The Blazers shot 9-of-20 from behind the arc...Minnesota shot 13-for-14 from the free throw line.
