Trail Blazers 118 - 117 Cavaliers
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Blazers search for success in Cleveland

Dec 1, 2012 - 4:58 PM (Sports Network) - The Portland Trail Blazers are still searching for a win on their current seven-game road trip and will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers Saturday night from Quicken Loans Arena.

The Blazers have lost five of six games and fell to (0-4) on their road swing following Friday's 96-78 setback in Boston. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 23 points and eight rebounds, while J.J. Hickson and Meyers Leonard scored 11 points apiece.

"Boston came out really aggressive," said Blazers head coach Terry Stotts. "Doc (Rivers) called them a soft team and they came out aggressive. And they were very aggressive with their pick and rolls. They had us on our heels for the first two quarters and it took us a while to regroup."

Portland shot just 34.8 percent overall and went 3-of-15 from 3-point range, while committing 23 turnovers. The Blazers trailed by as many as 27 points.

The Trail Blazers, losers in five straight as the guest, will also visit Charlotte and Indiana, and are 2-7 outside the Rose City this season.

Cleveland is only 4-12 on the season, but played like a playoff team in Friday's 113-111 victory in Atlanta. The Hawks had won six in a row overall and seven straight against the Cavs.

Alonzo Gee scored on a putback of rookie Dion Waiters' missed 3-pointer with three-tenths of a second remaining, helping the Cavs end a four-game slide.

"I thought (Waiters' shot) was good," Gee said. "I had confidence that he was going to make that. He was in a rhythm and I just thought it was going in."

Jeremy Pargo had 22 points, Waiters had 21 points and Anderson Varejao posted a double-double of 20 points and 18 rebounds. Varejao has at least 15 rebounds in 11 of his 15 games played this season, including each of the last seven. He leads the NBA with 14.9 rebounds per game, including 5.8 rpg on offense.

The Cavs buried 10-of-23 3-pointers and shot 48.2 percent. They will try to even their 2-3 home mark Saturday night.

Cleveland lost the only meeting with Portland last season, a 98-78 setback at the Rose Garden. Aldridge scored 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds and came up with four steals. Kyrie Irving, who is currently sidelined with a broken finger, posted 21 points for the Cavaliers.

Portland has won three straight in this series following a six-game slide.






Related News