Aldridge scores 26 points in Blazers' win
09:46 PM PST on Saturday, January 10, 2009
PORTLAND, Ore. -- LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points, and Brandon Roy added 19 in his return from a hamstring injury to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the short-handed Golden State Warriors 113-100 on Saturday night.
KGW graphic
Corey Maggette had 25 points for the Warriors, who have lost five straight.
Roy, Portland's leading scorer, missed four games with a sore right hamstring. The team went 2-2 in his absence.
The Blazers treated Roy cautiously, playing him only about 6 minutes a quarter. His return clearly inspired Portland, which trailed by 12 points in the first half, then led by 18 in the second.
The Warriors cut it to 99-94 on Maggette's 3-pointer and Kelenna Azubuike's jumper, but couldn't get any closer.
Travis Outlaw added 19 points for the Blazers, who had six players in double figures. Greg Oden had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Portland was coming off an 84-83 victory over Detroit on Wednesday night, sealed by Outlaw's fadeaway jumper with 8.9 seconds remaining.
The Warriors lost 114-106 at home to the Lakers on Wednesday, and the loss was costly. Starting forward Brendan Wright left the game with a dislocated right shoulder and did not play against the Blazers.
The Warriors also were without Stephen Jackson, the team's second-leading scorer, because of a strained right hamstring. He has missed two games.
But rookie guard Anthony Morrow was back with the Warriors after missing the team's last game for personal reasons.
Golden State, 4-20 on the road this season, has lost seven straight away from home.
The Warriors took a 34-22 lead in the first half on Azubuike's 3-pointer and two free throws from Maggette.
The Blazers came back to tie it at 41 on Roy's dunk. The teams wrestled over the lead until Outlaw scored the half's final seven points to give Portland a 55-49 lead at the break.
The Blazers led from there. Roy and Outlaw brought the biggest cheers of the night with back-to-back dunks that made it 90-76.
The Blazers caused a stir off the court in recent days because of an e-mail sent to executives across the league that suggested Portland could take legal action against any team to sign former forward Darius Miles.
Miles was waived by the Blazers at the end of last season, after an independent doctor said a knee injury was career-ending. However, Miles has tried to make a comeback and has played in eight NBA games. If he plays in 10, some $18 million that the Blazers owe him would count toward the team's salary cap.
Blazers president Larry Miller said the team sent the e-mail warning because of talk that other teams were considering signing Miles with the intention of hurting Portland financially.
On Saturday, the Grizzlies signed Miles to a 10-day contract. Miles had been released by Memphis earlier this week after playing in two games with the team.
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