http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/in...lphia_101.html
Gerald Wallace scored 25 points in the Trail Blazers' 110-101 win over the 76ers.
It was another great start for the Trail Blazers on Saturday, thanks to some hot shooting by Wesley Matthews, but it was the finish of the Blazers' 110-101 victory over Philadelphia that resonated afterward inside the Portland locker room.
With Andre Miller at the free throw line with 1:10 left of a game already decided, the sellout Rose Garden crowd started a chant that coach Nate McMillan and the Blazers players said they heard loud and clear:
"BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.!"
That's L.A. as in the Los Angeles Lakers, who are the hottest team in the NBA, and winners of both meetings with the Blazers this season. The Blazers play at the Lakers tonight, and the players said the chant was a good reminder of the task at hand.
"We already know," Nicolas Batum said of the chant. "We should have beaten them last game. But this will be a big game for both teams. We both need a win."
Added Matthews:
"It was a little exciting, but we had to close our game out, had to close out Philly. But I liked it."
There was a lot to like for the Blazers on Saturday, as Matthews' torched the nets (28 points after hitting his first six shots), Gerald Wallace burned the floor with all-out effort (25 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals) and Batum helped neutralize the 76ers' quick guards with his long-armed defense.
"It was a good night, both ways," McMillan said of the offense and defense.
After a 3-13 start, the 76ers (36-34) have been one of the better NBA teams, and they showed why on Saturday with quickness, athleticism and depth. Still, they were never able to take the lead as Portland answered every punch.
"Wow," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "Portland – that team played as well as any team has played against us in a long time."
The Blazers (40-29) are now a season-high 11 games over .500 and have not trailed in its last 110 minutes and 54 seconds, a span of two games and one-plus quarter.
With 13 games remaining, the Blazers on Saturday moved into sole possession of sixth in the Western Conference, one game ahead of New Orleans and one-half game behind fifth-place Denver.
The Blazers are 7-3 in March, a month that has seen them play some of their best basketball, despite back-to-back poor games at Charlotte and Atlanta at the end of a four-game trip.
The Blazers are getting hot shooting from Matthews, who in his last eight games has made 25-of-41 from three-point range (60.9 percent), and they are displaying a versatile defensive approach, with the 6-foot-8 Batum guarding point guards on a nightly basis and Wallace adding an element of toughness and hustle that was rarely seen before his Feb. 24 acquisition.
Throw in the consistency of LaMarcus (Aldridge 18 points, 7 rebounds on Saturday) and Miller (9 points, 7 assists) and a nightly commitment to sharing the ball (29 assists on Saturday) and the Blazers appear to be rounding into postseason form.
"We're doing some good things," McMillan said.
Notes: Miller arrived to the Rose Garden 28 minutes before game time after being excused by the team on Friday to attend to a family matter. He started and played 38 minutes ... Matthews is tied for fifth in the NBA with 136 three-pointers ...Lou Williams led Philadelphia with 24 points off the bench. Thaddeus Young added 19 as the 76ers reserves combined for 59 points. Portland's bench had 14 points.
I feel like I'm following tlong on Twitter or some ...
tlong is doing a great job of getting people to hate the Blazers, so I have to give him props.
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