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Blazers send Lakers to fourth straight loss

Apr 9, 2011 - 6:05 AM Portland, OR (Sports Network) - LaMarcus Aldridge totaled 24 points and 11 rebounds, and the Trail Blazers won a physical battle with the Los Angeles Lakers, 93-86, at the Rose Garden.

Gerald Wallace had 19 points, 13 boards and seven assists for Portland, which stayed a half-game ahead of New Orleans for the sixth spot in the Western Conference.

If the season were to end today, Portland would be playing Dallas in the first round, but there's a chance the Blazers could face the Lakers in round one.

"I think they have trouble getting up and down the court," Wallace said. "When you're running them their legs get heavy."

Andre Miller chipped in 12 points and 13 assists for the Blazers, who posted their second straight win and, incredibly, didn't give up a point off nine turnovers.

Kobe Bryant had 24 points for the Lakers, who hold the second seed in the West, a game ahead of Dallas. This was the fourth straight defeat for the Lakers, tying a season-high skid.

Portland nearly wasted a 24-point third-quarter lead, and Ron Artest played the bruiser role for the Lakers. He and Wallace were hit with technical fouls with 6:56 left in the game. Artest elbowed Wallace in the back of the head as the two were going for a rebound.

At the time, the Lakers faced an 81-64 deficit, but they rallied within 84-77 with 2:09 left on a Bryant layup. Nicolas Batum then drained a three-pointer with the shot clock running down, after the Blazers secured an offensive rebound. That effectively finished any hopes for a Lakers comeback.

"We were lazy and inefficient in the first half," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "In the second half we just didn't buckle down and do the right thing offensively in that third quarter. These guys just don't want to play harder."

The game was tied at 21 after the opening quarter, but Portland took control with a giant run in the second. A jumper by Shannon Brown expanded LA's lead to five points, but the Blazers spent the ensuing 3 1/2 minutes on a 15-0 burst. Batum capped it with an alley-oop jam off a feed from Miller for a 41-31 difference with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.

The margin stood at 53-47 at the half and Portland widened that to 74-50 with 5:08 left in the third. The Blazers then went stone cold from the field, and LA finished the quarter with 12 straight points.

Game Notes

Portland guard Brandon Roy played 29 minutes, his most since coming back from arthroscopic surgery on both knees...Wesley Matthews had 18 points for Portland, while Batum had 13...Lamar Odom scored 13 with 14 rebounds for LA...Artest had 14 points, while teammate Pau Gasol had 13 boards...The Lakers won the season series, 3-1.