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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Portland Trail Blazers backed their
way into the best record in the Western Conference. And they're
going to spend the better part of the next week enjoying it.
Damon Stoudamire scored 21 points as the Blazers entered the
All-Star break with a season-best two-game lead in the West by
defeating the Seattle SuperSonics 97-80 Wednesday night.
|  | | Portland's Dale Davis gets a hand in the way of Rashard Lewis in the first quarter. |
Steve Smith added 19 points and Dale Davis had 13 rebounds for
the Blazers (35-15). Portland began the day with a one-game lead
over Sacramento, which was routed by 29 points at Minnesota.
"We knew that Sacramento had lost again, and we wanted to build
on our lead in the division," Smith said. "And we wanted to go to
the break on a positive."
Rashard Lewis had 21 points to lead the Sonics, who have lost
three of five and remained stuck in the ninth spot in the West.
Vin Baker added 13 points, and Patrick Ewing had 11 points and
11 rebounds. Gary Payton, who missed the last two games with an
abdominal strain, had 11 points but sat out the fourth quarter.
Sonics coach Nate McMillan said Payton didn't have his usual
quickness, but Payton said he felt fine.
"I was just getting warmed up in the third quarter, and then
Nate decided he didn't want to play me no more," Payton said.
"That's his decision. We talked about it."
The Blazers looked nothing like the conference's best team in a
loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, but they've risen to
the top by default. The Kings, who beat the Blazers on Jan. 20,
have lost three straight.
Portland struggled on offense early against the Sonics, but
began to pull away late in the third quarter when Smith made a
3-point heave off the glass to beat the shot clock horn.
"They definitely had the shot god on their side tonight,"
Baker said.
That put Portland ahead 65-58, and the Blazers began the fourth
period with six straight points. Arvydas Sabonis picked up a loose
ball and banked a shot in, then Smith put back Stoudamire's miss
and made two free throws for a 71-58 lead.
Seattle got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
"We came in like we wanted to get this game over as quick as
possible, looking forward to the All-Star break," McMillan said.
Marred by turnovers and poor shooting, the game was slow until
the third period, when two straight 3-pointers by Stoudamire gave
the Blazers a 53-43 lead.
"In the second half, I got some steals, and the 3-pointers were
going, and I ignited us," Stoudamire said.
Seattle got within five on a 3-pointer by Payton, and a
3-pointer by Lewis cut it to 62-58. But on the next possession,
Smith wound up with the ball and flung it up to beat the shot
clock. It banked in.
"I called the bank on that," Smith said. "It was a pretty
lucky shot, and it seemed to get us going."
Stoudamire had hit a similar shot earlier in the period to make
it 58-50.
The teams had split their first two games, and it was even early
in this one. Baker capped a 9-0 run by putting back his own miss,
Seattle's third straight second-chance basket, to go ahead 33-25.
But the Blazers responded with an 18-4 run, including a four-point
trip.
Bonzi Wells hit a transition layup and got fouled, and Baker,
who thought he had been bumped at the other end, was hit with a
technical foul after throwing his elbow pad into the crowd.
Smith hit the technical shot, Wells sank his free throw and
Stoudamire followed with a long jumper to make it 43-37.
Game notes
Portland, which played the first of six straight at home,
has won 13 of 14 at the Rose Garden. ... Seattle's Ruben Patterson
was eligible to play after serving a three-game suspension for an
assault conviction in Cleveland, but he didn't play. ... The
Blazers' Rasheed Wallace finished serving his two-game suspension
for throwing a towel at a referee. He leaves for the All-Star Game
at 8 a.m. Thursday.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
Portland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 94
Milwaukee 91
Houston 112
Philadelphia 87
San Antonio 107
Cleveland 89
New York 96
Dallas 93
Orlando 107
Washington 98
Minnesota 117
Sacramento 88
Portland 97
Seattle 80
Golden State 89
LA Clippers 88
LA Lakers 85
Phoenix 83
Utah 92
Vancouver 82
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Mike Dunleavy Official Site
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