Blazers depart Rip City, clash with Lakers
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(SportsNetwork.com) - It's been more than two weeks since the Portland Trail Blazers were on display as the visiting team.
The Trail Blazers had the fortunate luxury of playing at home the last seven games and will depart Rip City for Sunday's showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.
Portland went 6-1 on the homestand and has won three in a row and 12 of its last 14 games, including Saturday's 103-92 victory over the Orlando Magic. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 25 points, Wesley Matthews followed with 18 and Damian Lillard recorded 16 points, five assists and five rebounds.
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"It was a win we needed to get. I like the way we came out in the first half," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.
The Blazers had a 26-13 lead after the first quarter, but the Magic battled back and eventually made it 85-85. Portland responded with a 14-4 run and finished the game 47.4 percent shooting from the field. The Blazers turned the ball over 20 times for 23 Orlando points.
Portland is 11-5 on the road and has won four of the last five as the guest. The Blazers will host the Clippers next on Wednesday.
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Los Angeles will continue its four-game homestand and kicked it off with Friday's 101-84 victory over the Magic, as Jeremy Lin scored 18 points and rookie Tarik Black posted 10 of his career-high 14 points in the fourth quarter. Lin became the eighth reserve in the last 11 games to lead the Lakers in scoring.
"We played with a sense of urgency tonight," said Lakers forward Carlos Boozer, who added a double-double of 12 points and 14 boards. "We made them take tough shots. When they missed, we didn't give them a second opportunity."
The 17-point difference was the largest margin of victory for Los Angeles, which had a season-high 60-36 advantage in rebounds.
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Ryan Kelly had 13 points and Ed Davis chipped in 10 to go along with 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who made 40 percent from the field and played without Kobe Bryant (rest) for the second time in three games.
The Lakers are 6-12 at home and will welcome Miami and Cleveland to town as well. They are 6-21 against the West (2-12 at home).
Lakers guard Wesley Johnson (hip) is questionable Sunday.
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Portland won the first of four meetings with the Lakers on Jan. 5 and recorded a 98-94 triumph behind Lillard's 39 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter. Bryant did not play in that one for the Lakers, who will face the Blazers again on Feb. 11 and April 3.
The Lakers have won six of the last nine games in this series, but are winless in back-to-back meetings as the host.