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Blazers begin trek in New Jersey

Nov 28, 2010 - 4:00 PM (Sports Network) - The Portland Trail Blazers will begin a four-game road trip tonight against the New Jersey Nets at the Prudential Center.

Portland is 4-1 against teams from the Eastern Conference and will make stops in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington. It is 4-4 away from the Rose City this season.

The Blazers, however, have dropped two straight and four of six games overall, including Friday's 97-78 setback versus New Orleans. All-Star guard Brandon Roy returned from a three-game absence due to a knee ailment and registered 27 points. Roy leads the team in scoring and has hit 36 straight foul shots.

"I felt like I had a pretty good rhythm," Roy said on the team's site. "Legs got kind of heavy there at times, but for the most part, I felt like I was able to get some good looks and I made some shots."

LaMarcus Aldridge added 14 points and nine rebounds for Portland, which netted a season-low 78 points and shot just 39.5 percent from the field (30-of-76). In injury news for the team, guard Rudy Fernandez (groin) and center Joel Przybilla are questionable for Sunday's game. Przybilla is coming off a severe knee injury and hasn't played this season. He's also battling the flu.

Meanwhile, the Nets just dropped a 102-86 decision in Philadelphia last night for their second straight loss and fifth in six tries -- all on the road.

Brook Lopez and Devin Harris netted 25 and 19 points, respectively, for New Jersey, which will return home where it is 3-4 on the season. Lopez entered the game averaging a team-high 18.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.67 blocks.

"We couldn't score or defend in the fourth quarter, which has been a problem for us," Nets coach Avery Johnson said after his team was outscored by a 36-20 margin in the final stanza.

Kris Humphries ended with seven points and 15 rebounds in defeat. He came in last night posting 10.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in eight games as a starter. On the injury front for the Nets, forward Troy Murphy (foot) and guard Quinton Ross (calf) did not play Saturday and are questionable.

Portland has swept back-to-back two-game series against the Nets and is unbeaten in the past five encounters against tonight's opponent. The Blazers are 11-3 in the previous 14 meetings with New Jersey, losers in four straight at home versus Portland.