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Blazers take step up, face Cavaliers

Mar 19, 2009 - 4:09 AM By Jeff Mezydlo Stats Senior Writer

Portland (43-25) at Cleveland (54-13), 8:00 p.m. EDT

CLEVELAND (AP) -- It's been more than three months since the Portland Trail Blazers won three straight games on the road. Equaling that accomplishment will be difficult as they face their toughest challenge on a five-game trip.

Looking to better their playoff position in the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers on Thursday night try to become only the second team this season to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers at home.

Portland (43-25) won 95-85 at Indiana on Wednesday - its second straight victory after opening the road swing with a 98-80 loss at Atlanta on Sunday.

Brandon Roy had 20 points with six assists and six rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who are fifth in the competitive West but only 15-19 away from the Rose Garden.

Portland now seeks to win three straight on the road for the first time since Nov. 30-Dec. 3, but has lost three in a row to the Cavaliers overall and five straight in Cleveland.

Cleveland (54-13) - which holds a four-game lead over Boston atop the East - beat Orlando 97-93 on Tuesday to improve to 30-1 at home. The Cavaliers will try for their seventh straight win overall and eighth consecutive victory at home since falling 101-91 to the West-leading Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 8.

LeBron James had 43 points Tuesday, including a 3-pointer with 47.4 seconds left to give his team the lead, Tuesday. He also sank two free throws with 8.7 seconds to play to help the Cavaliers overcome a nine-point second-half deficit.

"That was just being confident," James said of the 3-pointer. "Being down one and taking a 3, a lot of people wouldn't have done that. I'm one of the guys who would do that. I knocked it down."

James, who added 12 rebounds and eight assists, is averaging 35.8 points, 10.2 assists and 9.4 rebounds in his last five games. He had 34 points, 14 assists and seven boards in Cleveland's 104-98 win at Portland on Jan. 21.

Mo Williams, who scored 21 against Orlando, had 33 and shot 12-for-19 against the Trail Blazers earlier this season.

The Cavaliers, who are three shy of the club record for wins in a season, will be without the versatile Wally Szczerbiak for up to three weeks with a sprained left knee. The 10-year veteran has played three different positions and is averaging 7.1 points and 3.0 rebounds.

Portland shot 42.5 percent Wednesday, but held the Pacers to 40.5 percent and withstood a late run after Indiana cut the Trail Blazers' 13-point lead to seven in the third quarter.

"Coach called timeout, and he got on us," said Roy, who is averaging a career-high 23.0 points. "He said this game's not over with, and the only way we're going to win is playing the way we did to build this lead."

Portland 7-footer Greg Oden, who had 10 points and eight rebounds in the January loss to Cleveland, will play his second game after missing 15 with a bone chip in his left knee. The second-year pro finished with four points and seven rebounds Wednesday while facing the Pacers in his hometown for the first time.

"I just wanted to catch up with these guys and start to get in a groove with them," said Oden, who is averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 rebounds in 47 games.

This is the second of four straight matchups with teams from the East for the Trail Blazers, who conclude their trip at Milwaukee on Saturday.