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Matthews' career night lifts Blazers over Grizzlies

Nov 17, 2010 - 7:45 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Wesley Matthews finished with a career-high 30 points, as the Portland Trail Blazers outlasted the Memphis Grizzlies, 100-99, at FedExForum.

LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 23 points and Andre Miller chipped in with 19 points, nine assists and five steals for the Trail Blazers, who snapped a brief two-game slide. Marcus Camby had a game-high 17 rebounds to go with six points in the victory.

Rudy Gay had a team-high 20 points for Memphis, which has dropped four straight and seven of its last nine overall. Zach Randolph went for a double- double with 19 points and 14 boards in defeat.

"You got to give them credit. They've got a star player out, and they played good," Randolph said.

With Portland clinging to a one-point lead after three quarters, Tony Allen's layup early in the fourth put Memphis in front 72-71 and the game went back- and-forth for the entire frame.

Then tied at 79-all with seven minutes to play, Matthews put his squad ahead by four following a dunk and jumper at the midway point and it remained tight down the stretch.

Deadlocked at 93-93 after Gay's three-point play with 1:22 on the clock, Nicolas Batum responded with a putback layup to give Portland a 95-93 edge with 49.2 seconds left.

Miller stole the ball from O.J. Mayo on the Grizzlies' next trip, then hit a 10-footer for a four-point Trail Blazers lead with 21.1 ticks remaining. Mike Conley's three-pointer at the buzzer accounted for the 100-99 final.

"I thought tonight he let the offense come to him," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said of Matthews. "I just thought he brought energy to the floor tonight. The reason for him going in that line-up was to see if he can bring that toughness on the defensive end of the floor. Both he and Nic [Batum] were going to be matched up with [Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo], and I thought they did a nice job."

Aldridge and Matthews scored eight points apiece in the opening quarter to give Portland a 22-17 lead after 12 minutes. The Trail Blazers extended their advantage to 51-45 after Rudy Fernandez hit a three just prior to the halftime buzzer.

Matthews' driving layup nearly four minutes into the third kept Portland in front 60-55 and they maintained the edge for most of the quarter.

However, a three-point play by Greivis Vasquez in the closing seconds cut the Grizzlies deficit to one, 71-70, after three.

Game Notes

Portland All-Star guard Brandon Roy missed the game with a sore left knee...The Blazers and Grizzlies split four meetings a year ago, with each team winning as the guest. Portland has now won 10 of the last 12 matchups with Memphis, which has dropped eight in a row at home in this series...There were 22 lead changes in the game...Mayo and Conley finished with 17 and 16 points, respectively.