Lamarcus Aldridge scores career high 36 points as Portland Trail Blazers snap their three game losing streak
Marcus Camby and Nicolas Batum were reported injured and could not appear in the game after the second half. Brandon Roy's absence gave the Portland Trail Blazers enough edge over the Minnesota Timberwolves to pull a 107-102 victory to their advantage.
Box score
Players' stats
Minnesota Timberwolves (6-21)
Michael Beasley scored 33 points, Kevin Love and Martell Webster added 19 and Wesley Johnson contributed nine points to the box score.
Team Rebounds
The team grabbed four rebounds.
Portland Trail Blazers (13-14)
Aldridge scored 36 points, Rudy Fernandez added 26 points and Wesley Matthews contributed 21 points to the box score.
Team Rebounds
The team grabbed seven rebounds.
Scoring
The lead changed six times and the game was tied six times as well.
Rose Garden turned into thorns for the Timberwolves as they howled over their loss in front of 20,000 basketball maniacs on Friday night.
Aldridge had the night to his account as he scored his career high shiny 36 points and Fernandez could not help himself as he too pulled out his career high 26 points and that too off the bench. Both the players set the game on fire for their team, the Portland
Trail Blazers and ignited a cutting edge victory that broke their three game losing streak.
Game stats
The game stats were quite interesting as the Timberwolves and Blazers toppled past each other to get the ball. The Timberwolves grabbed 49 whereas Blazers had 37 rebounds. The Timberwolves took 21 offensive rebounds and the Blazers took 12. Both the teams
gave away 17 turnovers.
The Timberwolves took 14 fast break points and the Blazers took 15. The Timberwolves took the biggest lead with eight whereas the Blazers took lead with 10. Both the teams scored 50 points in the paint.
Players under spotlight
HOT
Beasley scored 33 points whereas Aldridge had a whooping 36 to his credit. Kevin Love grabbed 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves and Aldridge had 10 for the Blazers.
Aldridge has now scored 71 points in just two games including the last one that they played at Dallas on Wednesday. His score against the Dallas Mavericks was 35.
With just five minutes to go and Fernandez on the rim, the Portland Blazers experienced a driving dunk from him that gave them an edgy 98-89 victory over the Timberwolves.
Quote it
"Gut check for our guys. When we have injuries, it means opportunities for other guys, and they have to step in and play. They did tonight." This is what Portland's coach Nate McMillan said when he had just nine players left to play at the end of the game.
Somewhere inside the arena
Nike executive Tom Clarke who is the father-in-law of the ex -Blazer Webster was also present there to watch the game. Webster scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Timberwolves.
Quotable Quote
"Rudy was great. I always talk to him, tell him to keep shooting. He has a tendency to get down. I told him, 'We need you to be the guy, to make plays for us.' Tonight he did that." Later Aldridge complimented teammate Fernandez.
Brilliant
Aldridge shot his first 12 points 15 of 22 from the field.
Coming up next
For the Blazers, Golden State Saturday, Milwaukee Monday.
For the Timberwolves, at Denver Saturday, at L.A. Clippers Monday, Utah Wednesday.
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