NBA Special: LaMarcus Aldridge Sparkles, Portland Trail Blazers take down Utah Jazz at home
LaMarcus Aldridge proved to be Portland’s lucky charm once again, as he played one of his best games
for the Blazers. Aldridge scored a team-high 26 points and seven rebounds in the Portland Trail Blazers thrilling 96-91 victory over the Utah Jazz at the Energy Solutions Arena.
Wesley Matthews appreciated Aldridge's eye-catching performance as he said, "He was on. He's a very talented player. He brought us home tonight." Andre
Miller scored 17 points in the success - nine of them coming in the final quarter. Wesley Matthews netted 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds.
Deron Williams led the Jazz with a game-high 31 points, including back-to-back three-pointers. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap contributed 11 points apiece in the defeat
of Utah. Mehmet Okur played for 17 minutes in his first action on home court since last season's playoffs, and finished with six points, five rebounds, and four turnovers. Mehmet Okur said after the game, "I
felt a lot better than the first couple of games. I make a couple of baskets but second half my legs kind of got tired and I missed couple of easy baskets."
Game Story
Utah could not manage to slow down the sizzling performance of Aldridge, as the visiting team snatched victory from the jaws of the hosts with another great defensive
display. No doubt the Trail Blazers entered the court by keeping Utah’s 20 victories of the season in mind, fortunately they passed the passed the test with flying colours.
The Utah Jazz hit 61 percent of their first-quarter field goals, capped by Williams and C.J. Miles’ three-pointers, and led the Trail Blazers by 33-26. In
the second quarter the Trail Blazers found their rhythm offensively, and played some tenacious shots to cut down the seven-point lead of the Jazz. However, Utah maintained a two-point lead at half time 47-45.
Both teams started the third quarter sluggishly, but the Trail Blazers controlled every aspect of this one and limited turnovers. By cutting down the two-point lead Portland
tied the game at 66-all, heading into the final quarter. The Trail Blazers held the upper hand over their opponents in the fourth quarter. A three-pointer from Patrick Mills gave the Trail
Blazers the lead for good at 73-70, with eight minutes to go until the final buzzer. Aldridge’s jumper gave Portland an 87-79 lead, and the Trail Blazers held on for the win despite a late flurry by Williams.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan told reporters, "They took the life out of us and busted us in the mouth and everything else. We fell out like flies. When you play games at home
like this in your building, you've got to be a little bit tougher than what we were."
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