10.04.2005

PORTLAND (90) AT NEW ORLEANS (81)
Stats

Shareef Abdur-Rahim took advantage of a 
depleted frontcourt and helped end a lengthy losing streak.

Abdur-Rahim scored 25 points and Damon Stoudamire added 19 and
nine assists as the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a 10-game
road losing streak with a 90-81 victory over the New Orleans
Hornets.

The Hornets were trying for a season series sweep of the Trail
Blazers but were without center Jamaal Magloire and forward
Chris Andersen for the second straight game due to injuries.

With the Hornets lacking some size and experience inside,
Abdur-Rahim shot 10-of-17 from the field to score at least 20
points for the seventh time in his last eight games.  He also
grabbed 10 rebounds.

"Usually when I play against this team, I play against P.J.
(Brown)," Abdur-Rahim said.  "Since I've been in the NBA, I've
considered P.J. one of the better, if not the best, defending
power forwards in the league.  So to have him bump over to
center, it made them smaller at power forward, and they weren't
as physical inside.

"Those young guys, (Jackson) Vroman and David West, played hard,
but I think the injuries took a little bit away from them."

Brown agreed with Abdur-Rahim.

"We didn't communicate on the interior and shut down the
middle," Brown said.  "Our defense was shabby.  We definitely
missed (Magloire and Andersen).  Big Cat (Magloire) has a big
inside presence and does some good things, and Bird (Andersen)
gives us energy and hustle off the bench."

After a tight first half, the Trail Blazers went on a 10-0 run
to take a 64-50 lead with 7:18 to play in the third quarter.
Abdur-Rahim and Ruben Patterson scored four points each during
the spurt.

New Orleans closed to 71-68 on a three-point play by David West
with 9:58 remaining, but Abdur-Rahim made two free throws, and
the Hornets got no closer thereafter.

"Shareef really dominated inside," Stoudamire said.  "They
didn't really have an answer for him.  He did a lot of great
things, but he came up big when we needed it, especially when
the Hornets made their run at the start of the fourth quarter."

Patterson scored 16 points and Travis Outlaw added 13 for
Portland (25-51), which captured its first road win since an
80-77 victory at Charlotte on February 10.

The win also marked the Trail Blazers' first on the road against
a Western Conference opponent since their season opener, a
78-75 triumph at Golden State on November 3.

"Any win's a good win on the road in the West," Portland interim
coach Kevin Pritchard said.  "New Orleans has been depleted a
little bit with injuries.  We've been depleted with injuries.
But you still go out there and compete and try to get as many
wins as you can."

Two days after injuring his left shoulder in the fourth quarter
against Sacramento, Stoudamire is one of the players who
competed.  

"After Friday's game, I thought I was going to be done for a
long time," Stoudamire said.  "It was really bothering me.  But
I really like playing ball.  I just gutted through it.  I didn't
shoot the ball well, but I think I bring more to this team than
that."

Lee Nailon scored 20 points and Brown chipped in 14 for the
Hornets, who committed 19 turnovers that led to 23 points for
the Trail Blazers.

"Turnovers sometimes are a weird thing," Hornets guard Dan
Dickau said.  "You make 14, 15 turnovers, sometimes it's not a
big deal.  But the way our turnovers were tonight led to easy
baskets.  The turnovers led to a lot of 3-on-1s and breakaways."

The 19 turnovers were the Hornets' most at home since January 5.

"We're throwing the ball a little bit of everywhere," New
Orleans coach Byron Scott said.  "And that's the one thing you
can't do with that orange thing - treat it like it's not
precious.  Because it is."