Greg Oden Debuts In Front Of Home Crowd

(photo credit: yahoo sports/getty images)

After a year of delay, Gren Oden finally had the chance to play in front of his home-crowd in Portland when the Trailblazers faced the Chicago Bulls. Oden entered the game late in the first quarter and helped his team win against the visiting Bulls 116-74. In just 18 minutes of game time, Oden posted a decent 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks stat line.

Brandon Roy scored 20 points for the Blazers while Joel Przybilla added 14 points, 9 rebounds and three blocks.

It was an ugly game for the Bulls as they couldn’t find their rhythm. Only three Bulls scored in double figures. Andres Nocioni led his team with 13 points while Ben Gordon and Drew Gooden chipped in 11 points apiece. Luol Deng missed the game due to a groin injury.

The Blazers simply outplayed the visiting Bulls as shown in stat sheets. The Bulls were outscored in every quarter. The Blazers shot over 50 percent (42-83) from the field compared to Bulls’ 28-81. The home team also did better in the rebound (49-33) and assist (24-13) departments.

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AK47 Powers Jazz to end Blazers’ 13 Game Winning Streak (111-101)

Andrei Kirilenko’s all around game powered the Utah Jazz and ended Portland Trailblazers’ magnificent 13 game winning streak.  Kirilenko had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists as the Jazz handed the Blazers their first defeat in 14 games.  Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 9 rebounds while Deron Williams added 18 points and 8 assists.  Jazz newcomer Kyle Korver was a hit in his first game for the Utah squad.  Korver scored 11 points off the bench and received a standing ovation when he first entered the game in the second period.
Lamarcus Aldridge posted game-high 36 points for the Blazers but had little help from their starting five.  Brandon Roy was the only other starter who scored in double digits with 17 points.  Reserves James Jones and Travis Outlaw had 15 and 11 points respectively.  Blazers head coach Nate McMillan attended a family funeral and was not with the team when their winning streak ended. 

 
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Nets Wins against Blazers, Snaps Their Six-Game Losing Streak

 The New Jersey Nets finally managed to get a win after dropping their last six games. The Nets defeated the slumping Portland Trailblazers 106-101. The game saw the return of New Jersey’s Vince Carter after being sidelined for five games because of ankle sprain. Carter, who came entered the game off the bench finished with 13 points on 6-8 shooting. He played only 27 minutes.

Richard Jefferson once again led the Nets in scoring. He finished the game with game high 30 points. Bostjan Nachbar played big time and scored 23 points in 27 minutes of action.

Jason Kidd was impressive as he recorded his 90^th career triple double. Kidd tallied 12 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists by the end of the game. He made a big play late in the fourth that sealed their victory. With just over a minute to play, Kidd went for a lay up, got fouled, and drained the free throw. The three-point play gave the Nets a 104-101 lead.

Brandon Roy led the Blazers with 25 points and 6 assists and LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 14 points and 8 rebounds. Channing Frye and Martell Webster added 15 points each for the Blazers.

New Jersey Nets owns a record of 5-7 in the Atlantic while the Portland Trailblazers, who lost their last 5 games, have a 4-8 record in the Northwest Division.

 

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