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Blazers look for 11th consecutive victory

Dec 25, 2007 - 2:48 PM Seattle (8-19) at Portland (15-12) 8:00 pm EST

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) - Nothing has been able to distract the Portland Trail Blazers lately. The Seattle SuperSonics can only hope playing on Christmas Day might help.

The Trail Blazers enter Tuesday's contest with the Sonics as the hottest team in the NBA. Portland has won 10 consecutive games, including seven in a row at home. Tuesday's game will be the fourth of a six-game homestand for the Trail Blazers.

Portland has not won this many consecutive games since they were victorious in 12 straight during the 2001-02 season.

"It's hard to say they're creeping up on teams. They are a hot team and they are playing well right now," said Denver's Carmelo Anthony. "Everything they throw up is going in and they are playing together right now."

Portland, the youngest team in the NBA, started the streak with a win December 3 at Memphis, after going 5-12 to start the season. The Blazers are 12-3 at home.

Brandon Roy, last season's Rookie of the Year, has led Portland with an average of 23.6 points during the streak and has won consecutive Western Conference player of the week honors.

Seattle started the season 0-8, but has rebounded and is 5-5 in its last 10 games. Like the Blazers, the Sonics will come into the game following three days off. Rookie Kevin Durant had 27 points to lead Seattle to a 123-115 home victory over Toronto on Friday.

This is the first of four games between the Northwest Division rivals. The teams split the series last season, each winning one of two games both home and away.