Blazers use strong first half to beat Pacers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - LaMarcus Aldridge scored 19 points with 14 rebounds to help the Portland Trail Blazers snap a two-game losing streak with a 95-85 victory over the struggling Indiana Pacers.
Damian Lillard managed to contribute 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting, while Nicholas Batum and Wesley Matthews netted 14 and 12 points, respectively, in the win.
"I think our minds our on the defensive end," said Matthews. "The offense seemed to be flowing a little bit, but mainly because of what we were doing on the defensive end."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Blazers closed a five-game road trip with a 3-2 mark.
C.J. Watson deposited a season-high 23 points and Rodney Stuckey added 14 points with a career-high 14 rebounds in the Pacers' eighth straight loss.
"We have been close in a lot of these games but we gotta keep grinding," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said of the losing streak. "We have to work at it everyday and get better everyday."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Indiana led 23-22 after the first quarter, then Portland gained some separation in the second.
Matthews hit consecutive 3-pointers to cap an 11-2 run less than two minutes into the quarter.
The Blazers took advantage of a 3:04 scoreless drought from the Pacers later in the frame. In the midst of the dry spell, Joel Freeland netted a pair of baskets during an 8-0 run that made it 44-30. Solomon Hill ended the run on a bank shot with 5:30 remaining in the half.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Portland stretched its lead to 58-38 at the break.
The Blazers kept the momentum moving to start the second half, as Aldridge scored nine points during an 11-2 run to open the stanza. Watson's three free throws late in the quarter closed a 7-0 spurt that brought the hosts to within 82-66 entering the fourth.
Portland scored only two points over the first seven-plus minutes in the fourth which allowed the Pacers back into the game. Watson's 3 with just under five minutes to go cut the deficit to eight, but the visitors countered with an 11-4 flurry that sealed it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Chris Kaman scored 10 points with six rebounds in the win ... David West tallied 12 points and Roy Hibbert had 10 points with 10 rebounds for Indiana ... Portland had a 44-34 edge in the paint ... The Pacers were limited to 38.6 percent shooting from the field.