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Spurs-Trail Blazers Preview

Nov 6, 2009 - 7:33 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

San Antonio (2-2) at Portland (2-3), 10:30 p.m. EDT

The Portland Trail Blazers had one of the best home records in the NBA last season.

It's been a different story for them at the Rose Garden in 2009-10.

The Trail Blazers look to avoid their third straight loss there Friday night, when they continue their three-game homestand against a San Antonio Spurs team without a road win.

Portland (2-3) went 34-7 at home in 2008-09 - the fourth-best mark in the league behind Cleveland, the Lakers and Boston - while never losing more than two straight at the Rose Garden.

Despite leading by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers dropped their second in a row at home Tuesday - 97-91 to Atlanta.

"Regardless of where you are, you've got to work," coach Nate McMillan told the Trail Blazers' official Web site. "I really felt our level of intensity needed to be better for pretty much all of the games."

Portland's last three-game slide at home was March 29-April 6, 2008.

The Trail Blazers had lost five straight at home - and 12 overall - to San Antonio, prior to their 100-99 victory on Oct. 31, 2008.

Spurs guard Michael Finley missed a shot as time expired and Portland won its first home game in this series since Jan. 24, 2005.

"When he missed the shot, I couldn't believe it. I was thinking overtime or something because it just didn't feel right," guard Brandon Roy said. "But I looked up and realized that we had finally beaten the Spurs."

The Trail Blazers won three of four against San Antonio last season - including both meetings at the Rose Garden - after losing 19 of the previous 20 matchups.

Roy averaged 23.0 points against the Spurs in 2008-09, scoring 26 in each of the victories.

Center Greg Oden, who leads the Trail Blazers with 9.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, was injured for the first three matchups with San Antonio last season.

In his first career game against fellow first-overall pick Tim Duncan, Oden had eight points, eight boards and two blocks in a 95-83 victory on April 8 that snapped Portland's 11-game skid in San Antonio.

Duncan, averaging 21.4 points and 10.8 boards in 23 career games in Portland, had 15 and 13 in Thursday's 113-99 loss at Utah that dropped the Spurs (2-2) to 0-2 on the road.

San Antonio hasn't lost its first three road games since 1993-94.

The Spurs, who held their first three opponents this season to 96 points or fewer, allowed its most points in a loss since a 113-94 defeat at Seattle on Nov. 7, 2004.

"We've got a lot of work to do to become a good defensive team and Utah obviously took advantage of that tonight," coach Gregg Popovich said. "They are always an aggressive club and they do a great job of fighting for 48 minutes."

Tony Parker led San Antonio on Thursday with 21 points, four coming in the second half. He averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 assists at Portland in 2008-09.

Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and a season-high 14 rebounds Tuesday, despite leaving Sunday's win at Oklahoma City with a bone contusion on his right knee.

Aldridge averaged 24.5 points and 6.0 rebounds as Portland swept its home games versus San Antonio last season for the first time since 1996-97.

The Trail Blazers are scoring 93.7 points per game on 39.9 percent shooting at the Rose Garden this season.