The Blazers hold off the Kings in a game that was closer than hoped. Sacramento took the lead in the middle of the fourth, led by the dominant DeMarcus Cousins (28 points, 11 rebounds). But it almost felt as if they realized they were winning, and said "wait, we're not supposed to win!", then handed the ball repeatedly to the Blazers. Portland took advantage, including a memorable Crash Wallace alley-oop dunk, to put the game away.
There was no single leader for the Blazers, instead a balanced attack. Six Blazers scored in double figures: Matthews (21), Aldridge (20 and 10 for the Western Conference Player of the Month), Miller (19), Batum (17), Mills (14) and Wallace (12).
Next up is a few days off, then Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks and the Charlotte Bobcats visit the Rose Garden Saturday night. Prepare in advance!
Box score is here, and stay tuned for Dave's recap. -- Tim