Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Grants Pass police say man threatened to detonate a bomb during arrest ... Bill could gut GMO ordinance, group says ... Our View: We are not ready for The Really Big One ... Grants Pass police say man threatened to detonate a bomb during arrest ... Bill could gut GMO ordinance, group says ... Our View: We are not ready for The Really Big One ... NBA Lopez's return ignites Portland in victory Lillard scores 25 as Blazers hold off Jazz Comment By Anne M. Peterson The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Anne M. Peterson The Associated Press Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Anne M. Peterson The Associated Press Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News PORTLAND — With Robin Lopez's return, the Trail Blazers seemed more at ease. Even a late threat from the Utah Jazz seemed surmountable. "I think everybody was just more comfortable knowing he was out there," said guard Damian Lillard, who had 25 points as Portland held off the Jazz 103-102. Lopez fractured his right hand in a Dec. 15 game against San Antonio and missed 23 games. The 7-foot-center was badly missed. "Not only does he help the starting unit, he just helps the team all together because it sets rotations. Everybody is back to what they're accustomed, where they've been playing for so long," Wesley Matthews said. Lopez's return, and the victory, came at the right time for the Blazers, who had lost three straight and five of their last six going into Tuesday night's game. After wrestling for the lead to start the fourth quarter, Matthews hit two straight 3-pointers and the Blazers went up 98-89 with 3:26 left. Gordon Hayward's 3 closed the Jazz to within 99-96, but Lillard answered with a driving layup. Joe Ingles hit another 3 for the Jazz to pull within 101-99 with 9.9 seconds left. LaMarcus Aldridge made free throws before Trey Burke hit a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds to go. Lillard missed his first free throw on the other end, then missed the second one intentionally and time ran out on Utah. Aldridge finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Lopez had 11 points and six rebounds, held to just over 25 minutes on the floor. Hayward finished with 27 points for the Jazz, who were coming off 110-100 victory over the Western Conference-leading Warriors. "We've gone from losing nine straight to being able to play with the best teams in the league, so we've just got to figure out how to be more consistent," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. Portland was coming off a 95-88 loss at Milwaukee on Saturday night, concluding a futile three-game road trip. Lopez, wearing a black wrap on his hand, made his first shot of the night, a dunk. His return sparked the Blazers, who got off to a 27-23 start after the first quarter. "Any basketball player would prefer to be on the court rather than on the bench," Lopez said. Nicolas Batum, who has been struggling with a sore wrist, hit a 3-pointer that made it 42-35, but the Jazz evened it up at 42 on Trey Burke's layup and a pair of free throws. Hayward's 3-pointer gave the Jazz a 47-44 lead at the half. Portland regained a 57-50 lead early in the second on Lopez's layup and pushed the advantage to as many as 11 points. But the Jazz answered with a 12-5 run to tie it at 62 after Hayward's layup. The Jazz responded to cut Portland's lead to 72-70 going into the fourth quarter. The two teams wrestled back-and-forth the rest of the way. "Even though tonight was a loss, we played really well, just not enough to win," Hayward said. "So I think we try to learn from this one." TIP-INS Jazz: The Jazz were the only team the Blazers' hadn't faced this season. ... Hayward has scored 10 or more points in 10 consecutive games. Trail Blazers: Former Oregon Ducks running backs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner were at the game. ... Lopez had to leave briefly in the third quarter because of a bad cut above his left eye. SEAHAWK FAITHFUL Jazz coach Quin Snyder, who grew up on Mercer Island in Washington, is a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan. He said before the game Tuesday that he admired Seattle's communication skills. Yes, even Richard Sherman's. "We showed our guys some of Richard Sherman, not talking to the camera, but talking to his teammates," Snyder said. ANOTHER MARK FOR LAMARCUS It was Aldridge's fourth straight and 24th double-double of the season. He has 219 double-doubles in his career with the Blazers — tying him with Sydney Wicks for the most in team history. Aldridge has 20 games with 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds, third most in the NBA this season. UP NEXT Jazz: Host the Grizzlies tonight. Trail Blazers: Host the Suns on Thursday night. By Anne M. Peterson The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Anne M. Peterson The Associated Press Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501