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Blazers host Cavaliers in Rose City

Jan 8, 2012 - 3:54 PM (Sports Network) - The Portland Trail Blazers have made Rip City a tough place to play in this season and will try to stay unbeaten at home when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight from the Rose Garden.

The Blazers are 4-0 in the Rose City and haven't won five straight as the host to start a season since opening the 2008-09 campaign with seven wins in a row at Portland. They hope to bounce back from Friday's 102-77 road loss at Phoenix in which LaMarcus Aldridge scored a team-high 14 points and Nicolas Batum had 12. Jamal Crawford scored 10 points for the Blazers, who had won two in a row and were coming off a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

"They were faster," Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said of the Suns. "It just seemed like we were running in quicksand all night."

Portland shot 32.5 percent from the field and hope to start a three-game homestand on the right foot Sunday. It will also host the Clippers and Magic on the upcoming residency.

Cleveland will continue a seven-game road trip this evening and have split the first two installments of the trek. After opening the journey with a loss at Toronto on Wednesday, the Cavs bounced back with a 98-87 victory in Minnesota Friday night.

Antawn Jamison scored 22 points, Anderson Varejao posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds and rookie Kyrie Irving netted 14 points to help the Cavaliers notch their third win in four tries.

"We pushed on makes and misses and I think that helped a lot," said Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions, who finished with 11 points.

The Cavs will also visit the Jazz, Suns, Lakers and Bobcats on the swing.

Portland swept the Cavaliers last season for the first time since 2002-03, but Cleveland has won 11 of the last 15 meetings between the teams. The Cavs, though, have dropped eight of the past 12 matchups in the Rose City.