Pacers 80 - 100 Trail Blazers
Final
  for this game

Trail Blazers ease past Pacers

Jan 24, 2013 - 7:38 AM Portland, OR (Sports Network) - LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points and J.J. Hickson recorded a double-double, as the Portland Trail Blazers ended a six- game losing streak with a convincing 100-80 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The Blazers shot 56 percent from the field against the league's stingiest defense and had all five starters score in double figures. Hickson finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds, Damian Lillard netted 20 points and Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews each had 10.

"I thought guys made shots. I thought we set good screens. I thought everything was good," Aldridge said.

Paul George and David West logged 22 and 21 points, respectively, for the Pacers, who were coming off a road win at Memphis on Monday.

Aldridge shot 7-of-8 for 14 points in the second quarter, which included a personal 8-0 run that featured a hook shot, a step-back jumper and a pair of 20-footers that helped the Blazers extend their 20-17 lead entering the second to 44-32 heading to the locker room.

Aldridge continued to keep Portland in front with a three-point play and a dunk during a 7-0 surge midway through the third quarter, and the hosts led, 70-59, entering the fourth.

Portland had played 10 games in a row decided by six points or less, but buckets by Will Barton, Matthews and Lillard to open the final stanza made it a 17-point game.

The closest Indiana got from there was 11.

"They played a little more desperate than we did. I thought we just weren't there for one another on the defensive end," said West. "We know we're better than that defensively."

Game Notes

The Pacers, who came in giving up 89.1 points per game, had not allowed triple-digits since a 109-100 loss to the Hawks on Dec. 29 ... Indiana was looking for a seventh straight win against a Western Conference opponent ... The Pacers shot 38 percent from the floor.






Related News