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Trail Blazers try to get back on track vs. Raptors

Dec 27, 2008 - 11:33 AM Toronto (12-17) at Portland (18-12), 10:00pm EST

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- A pair of teams seemingly going in opposite directions this season square off on Saturday as the Portland Trail Blazers host the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors have made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and brought in Jermaine O'Neal this offseason to augment their postseason formidability. Instead of making a surge in the Eastern Conference, the team has gone through a coaching change and a miserable month of December.

The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, have come together in rapid fashion, already claiming the right to call themselves one of the rising young powers out West. With the emergence of Brandon Roy as legit superstar material and young players like Rudy Fernandez making a name for themselves already, the Blazers are making a play at the top of the Northwest Division already.

As of now, they're trying to wipe away the sour taste that Thursday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks left. Portland imploded in the fourth quarter and surrendered 30 points to Dirk Nowitzki in a 102-94 defeat.

The Raptors, meanwhile, have actually begun to show signs of snapping out of it over their last two games. After dropping five in a row, they have won back-to-back contests ... albeit against the lowly Clippers and Kings.

All-Star forward Chris Bosh broke out of a recent shooting slump on Monday, going for 31 points on 9-of-15 shooting - plus 11-of-15 from the line - en route to a 97-75 rout of the Clippers.

On Friday, it was O'Neal who took charge, pouring in a season-high 36 points on 15-of-19 shooting in a 107-101 triumph.