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Heat seek 13th straight road win at Portland

Jan 9, 2011 - 4:06 PM (Sports Network) - It appears things are starting to come together for the Miami Heat, who will take aim at their 13th consecutive road win tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.

Since losing their last road game on Nov. 27 at Dallas, the Heat have won eight straight and 20 of the last past 21 games for a 29-9 record this season. They have ripped off 12 straight victories away from South Beach and opened a five-game road swing with Friday's 101-95 overtime triumph in Milwaukee behind Chris Bosh's 10 of 16 points in the final stanza and OT.

LeBron James ended with 26 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and six steals for the Heat, who are trying to match the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the longest road winning streak in NBA history at 16. Carlos Arroyo and Dwyane Wade posted 15 and 14 points, respectively, while Bosh grabbed 12 rebounds.

"We shot less than 40 percent from the field as a team," James said. "But we found a way to win. Our team is about defense."

The Heat are 14-5 as the guest this season and will also visit the Clippers, Nuggets and Bulls on the excursion. Bosh is closing in on his 11,000th career point, while Miami is two road wins from matching a franchise-best 14-game road winning streak set during the 1996-97 season.

Winning on the road will be no easy task for the Heat against Portland, which has ripped off eight straight wins as the host and is 12-3 in the Rose City this season. The Blazers will play two straight and nine of their next 11 games in the Pacific Northwest.

The Trail Blazers won the last two tests of a three-game road trip, including Friday's 108-98 victory in Minnesota. Wesley Matthews buried 7-of-10 from beyond the arc en route to a career-high 36 points and LaMarcus Aldridge compiled 28 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for Portland, which has won eight of its last 11 games. Aldridge has scored at least 25 points in five straight games.

"We were just taking what they gave us...I was moving without the ball and finding open spots. We were finding each other tonight," said Matthews, who set a franchise record with seven first-half threes, eclipsing the six hit by Cliff Robinson on March 28, 1997 against Vancouver. "It felt good. I was in a rhythm."

Andre Miller contributed 16 points and 10 assists to help the Blazers to their 14th consecutive triumph over the Timberwolves. The Trail Blazers will also welcome the New York Knicks to town before heading to Phoenix.

Portland has scored at least 100 points in nine of 15 home games this season, while reaching the century mark six times in 21 tries on the road. Portland and Miami split last year's season series, 1-1, with the road team winning both contests. The Blazers have won 10 of the last 16 games against Miami.

These two teams have split the past eight meetings at the Rose Garden.