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Aldridge, Roy help Blazers send Timberwolves packing

Mar 16, 2008 - 5:45 AM PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy were just too much to handle.

Aldridge scored 26 points and Roy added 25 and nine assists as the Portland Trail Blazers posted a 107-96 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

Reserve Travis Outlaw had 17 points and Jarrett Jack chipped in 10 and eight assists to help coach Nate McMillan register his 300th win.

"It feels great," McMillan said. "I told the team I hope the next 300 are here. I thought about coach (Jerry) Sloan who has been in Utah for a number of years. He had an opportunity to get in there and start Utah with (Karl) Malone and (John) Stockton and, hopefully, I can have a career like that here with this young group."

The victory gave the Blazers a four-game sweep of the Timberwolves for the first since the 1998-99 season.

Randy Foye's jumper gave the Timberwolves a 61-56 edge with 9:33 remaining in the third quarter before the Trail Blazers gained control for good.

Aldridge scored on a driving layup and Roy followed with a shot from the arc, sparking a game-changing 23-6 run which was capped by Steve Blake's 18-footer at the 3:42 mark.

"I think that this is something that me and (Aldridge) are going to have to continue to learn how to do," Roy said. "I think we are two good players and this team is only going to be as good as me and him are. So the better we develop the chemistry, I think the better this team will be."

"You're talking about two of the best young players in the league," Foye said. "LaMarcus can shoot, Brandon can make any play, and they just played really well."

Minnesota's Rashad McCants' 3-pointer sliced the deficit to 85-79 with 10:41 left in the fourth. But Portland went on a 13-6 burst to extend to the lead back to double figures, 98-85, with 7:11 to go.

"I think we had a real good rhythm," Aldridge said. "We were able to move the ball around and guys were passing up shots to get to better shots."

Marko Jaric poured in 19 points and Al Jefferson had 18 and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, which had its three-game road winning streak stopped.

"We didn't have an answer for that run to start the third, and that's where they got us," Jaric said. "Roy and Aldridge are two very talented players and they have found their chemistry and are playing well together. It's tough to double-team them because they have good shooters as well."