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By Kasey Postlewaite
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- Brandon Roy scored 29 points andTravis Outlaw added 21 as the Portland Trail Blazers postedtheir sixth straight win, a 99-91 victory over the strugglingUtah Jazz on Friday night.
Reserve James Jones had 14 points for the Trail Blazers, whoplayed their third straight game without their leading scorerand rebounder, second-year forward LaMarcus Aldridge (plantarfasciitis).
"Right now, our bench is giving us a huge lift every night," Roysaid. "Travis Outlaw and James Jones have been the differencewithout question. With them and everyone else coming together,we've gotten ourselves in a little groove."
"They were double-teaming Brandon a lot, so somebody had to stepup," said Outlaw, who has scored 20 or more points in five ofthe last six games. "I felt I had to step up and I was able toget open. It was just fun, and we were having a good timetonight."
It was the second meeting in four days between the two teams,with Portland getting the better of Utah, 97-89, on Tuesday.With Friday's loss, the Jazz now have lost six in a row.
"It seems to come down to the last four to five minutes," Jazzforward Carlos Boozer said of the team's skid. "I felt like wehad a chance to win all six of them. But for some reason, wecan't win them. Maybe, we're making the wrong mistakes and notgetting the right stops."
"I wouldn't call it desperation time," Jazz coach Jerry Sloansaid. "We are not going to panic. Hopefully, our players do abetter job of understanding what we have to do to get goingagain."
It was an uphill climb in this one for the Blazers, who openedthe fourth with seven straight points to complete an impressivecomeback en route to the victory.
A 16-6 run to start the third gave the Jazz a 70-59 lead, butthe resilient Blazers fought back - scoring eight straightpoints to cut their deficit to four points going into the finalperiod.
Jones nailed a 17-foot jumper to put Portland ahead, 75-74, andOutlaw followed with another jumper - prompting timeout by theJazz early in the fourth.
"In the past, I think we have all been guilty of putting ourheads down when another team makes a run," Roy said. "But eversince the Memphis game, no matter what, we come together andsay, 'We're not going to let this happen.' I think teams mighthit us with their best punch and expect us to fold, but we'renot folding. We're coming back harder."
But Andrei Kirilenko's 15-foot jumper helped Utah recapture thelead, 78-77, with 6:30 remaining.
The teams then traded baskets for most of the rest final perioduntil the Blazers took the lead for good, 87-86, on Outlaw's twofree throws with 2:33 left. Portland won the free-throw battlethe rest of the way.
"I'm seeing this group pull itself together and challenge eachother," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "Earlier, we couldn'trecover from runs. Now, we have been able to rally back andwin some games."
There is no doubt that the play of Outlaw and Jones have beenhuge contributors to the Blazers' best win streak in five years.
It was Outlaw's last-second shot at Memphis that started thestreak, and Jones has done his part by connecting on 16 of hispast 24 3-pointers.
"With the way Travis is playing right now, it's really given usanother option down the stretch," McMillan said. "He's veryconfident in his shot right now and he's not hesitating. AndJames has just been great. I just wish he was healthier becausehe could do so much for us."
Despite shooting 10-of-17 in the first period, Portland led just28-26 after one.
In the second, the Blazers inched their way to a 45-37 leadthanks in part to Outlaw and poor shooting by the Jazz. Outlawscored eight points while the visitors made only 4-of-15 fieldgoals during that span.
<div class="pre">The Jazz responded by converting three straight times</div>offensively, sparking a 17-6 run.C.J. Miles' layup cappedit with 36 seconds remaining before Joel Przybilla endedthe half with a putback dunk, bringing Portland to within oneat 54-53.
Boozer had 22 points and 12 rebounds for his 18 double-doublefor the Jazz, who were without forward Mehmet Okur for thesecond straight game (back).
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- Brandon Roy scored 29 points andTravis Outlaw added 21 as the Portland Trail Blazers postedtheir sixth straight win, a 99-91 victory over the strugglingUtah Jazz on Friday night.
Reserve James Jones had 14 points for the Trail Blazers, whoplayed their third straight game without their leading scorerand rebounder, second-year forward LaMarcus Aldridge (plantarfasciitis).
"Right now, our bench is giving us a huge lift every night," Roysaid. "Travis Outlaw and James Jones have been the differencewithout question. With them and everyone else coming together,we've gotten ourselves in a little groove."
"They were double-teaming Brandon a lot, so somebody had to stepup," said Outlaw, who has scored 20 or more points in five ofthe last six games. "I felt I had to step up and I was able toget open. It was just fun, and we were having a good timetonight."
It was the second meeting in four days between the two teams,with Portland getting the better of Utah, 97-89, on Tuesday.With Friday's loss, the Jazz now have lost six in a row.
"It seems to come down to the last four to five minutes," Jazzforward Carlos Boozer said of the team's skid. "I felt like wehad a chance to win all six of them. But for some reason, wecan't win them. Maybe, we're making the wrong mistakes and notgetting the right stops."
"I wouldn't call it desperation time," Jazz coach Jerry Sloansaid. "We are not going to panic. Hopefully, our players do abetter job of understanding what we have to do to get goingagain."
It was an uphill climb in this one for the Blazers, who openedthe fourth with seven straight points to complete an impressivecomeback en route to the victory.
A 16-6 run to start the third gave the Jazz a 70-59 lead, butthe resilient Blazers fought back - scoring eight straightpoints to cut their deficit to four points going into the finalperiod.
Jones nailed a 17-foot jumper to put Portland ahead, 75-74, andOutlaw followed with another jumper - prompting timeout by theJazz early in the fourth.
"In the past, I think we have all been guilty of putting ourheads down when another team makes a run," Roy said. "But eversince the Memphis game, no matter what, we come together andsay, 'We're not going to let this happen.' I think teams mighthit us with their best punch and expect us to fold, but we'renot folding. We're coming back harder."
But Andrei Kirilenko's 15-foot jumper helped Utah recapture thelead, 78-77, with 6:30 remaining.
The teams then traded baskets for most of the rest final perioduntil the Blazers took the lead for good, 87-86, on Outlaw's twofree throws with 2:33 left. Portland won the free-throw battlethe rest of the way.
"I'm seeing this group pull itself together and challenge eachother," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "Earlier, we couldn'trecover from runs. Now, we have been able to rally back andwin some games."
There is no doubt that the play of Outlaw and Jones have beenhuge contributors to the Blazers' best win streak in five years.
It was Outlaw's last-second shot at Memphis that started thestreak, and Jones has done his part by connecting on 16 of hispast 24 3-pointers.
"With the way Travis is playing right now, it's really given usanother option down the stretch," McMillan said. "He's veryconfident in his shot right now and he's not hesitating. AndJames has just been great. I just wish he was healthier becausehe could do so much for us."
Despite shooting 10-of-17 in the first period, Portland led just28-26 after one.
In the second, the Blazers inched their way to a 45-37 leadthanks in part to Outlaw and poor shooting by the Jazz. Outlawscored eight points while the visitors made only 4-of-15 fieldgoals during that span.
<div class="pre">The Jazz responded by converting three straight times</div>offensively, sparking a 17-6 run.C.J. Miles' layup cappedit with 36 seconds remaining before Joel Przybilla endedthe half with a putback dunk, bringing Portland to within oneat 54-53.
Boozer had 22 points and 12 rebounds for his 18 double-doublefor the Jazz, who were without forward Mehmet Okur for thesecond straight game (back).