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The Blazers were led by Wesley Matthews' 24 points, as he revisited his former team. LaMarcus Aldridge (19 points, 11 rebounds) and Nicolas Batum (17 points, 10 rebounds) also had solid nights. For the rooks, Damian Lillard and Joel Freeland struggled. Nolan Smith returned to the rotation with a quiet night, and Coby Karl watched from the bench.
This was a close game, with many lead changes until the fourth quarter, when Utah took the lead for good. Since this game was untelevised, there will be minimal coverage. Instead, Dave will post his impressions of the overall preseason soon.
The box score is here. The Blazers have almost a week off, and will open their season Wednesday night, at home on NBA TV against the Lakers. -- Tim