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Aldridge rallies Blazers to overtime win over Raptors

Forward finishes with 23 points and 13 rebounds

By Erik Gundersen, Columbian Trail Blazers Writer
Published: December 30, 2014, 4:00pm

PORTLAND—The Portland Trail Blazers got All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge back on the court after missing the last two games with an upper respiratory illness.

And they desperately needed every bit of what he had to give in what was a dramatic match-up against Toronto, one of the league’s best teams.

And in one of the better regular season games you’ll see, Portland outlasted Toronto 102-97 in overtime.

The plan to restrict the three-time All-Star’s minutes in his return was evidently scrapped as he logged over 40 minutes. He had a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds.

Aldridge scored 15 points in the second half and overtime, and the Blazers clearly made a concerted effort to give him the ball in the post after trailing by as much as 12 in the second half.

Amir Johnson forced the game into overtime after the Blazers made a comeback with a turnaround bank shot with 4.7 seconds left.

The Raptors came into the game with the Eastern Conference’s best record. Toronto also had the league’s most efficient offense and still hadn’t achieved the defensive success they enjoyed last season, ranking 19th.

They turned everything up another level, and the Blazers were unable to get anything going, especially from the perimeter where they had enjoyed success over the past two games.

The Blazers were fresh off hitting a record-setting number of 3’s in back-to-back games but were two-for-17 from 3’s in the first half. They drought of almost five minutes without a basket in the second quarter.

But the game plan in the second half featured a lot more Aldridge, and the 3’s that were clanking off the rim started to fall for the Blazers in the second half.

Wesley Matthews and Damian Lillard started found the bottom of the net in the second half which let Portland’s offense breathe a little easier but the Raptors, led by Kyle Lowry, matched them shot for shot.

Even seemingly easy opportunities in transition were being challenged by the Raptors.

The Raptors played stingy defense with excellent attention to detail. They would force the ball out of Matthews’ hands in the post or Aldridge’s.

They let the struggling Nicolas Batum shoot open 3’s. It wasn’t a perfect game but they made Portland work away from their strengths in the first half.

Neither team shot well from the 3-point line to start. The Blazers, fresh off hitting 16 or more 3’s in back-to-back games, went 2-for-17 from the 3-point line in the first half. The Raptors, who also rely heavily on the 3 started 1-for-11.

Chris Kaman chipped in a crucial 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench against a Raptors team that relies heavily on their bench. Steve Blake scored all five of his points in the fourth quarter. And center Joel Freeland logged 31 minutes and grabbed 12 rebounds alongside Aldridge.

Aldridge’s turnaround jumper with 6:24 left cut the Raptors lead to two points, forcing Toronto’s Dwane Casey to call time.

It was the closest the Blazers had been since the 10:11 mark of the second quarter. But the Raptors have found ways to win all season and didn’t wilt under the pressure.

The Blazers trailed by seven to start the final period and got solid contributions late. Blake scored all five of his points in the fourth quarter.

Batum who had struggled much of the game hit a tough, contested 3-pointer and got to the free-throw line. He scored nine of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

And the Blazers also turned up their defense which has been their rock all season. The Raptors started the final period four-for-15 and were even missing some lay-ups.

They held the prolific Raptors offense to 17 points on six-for-24 shooting in the final period of regulation to force overtime.

Aldridge split a pair of free-throw to tie the game at the 3:19 mark setting up a dramatic finish.

In the overtime period the Blazers 3-point stroke was their biggest key to success. They went three-for-six with Lillard, Batum and Matthews each hitting one.

The Raptors simply couldn’t match Portland’s fire power late in the game. The Blazers had their share of late-game mistakes but made enough plays to erase them from their memories.

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Columbian Trail Blazers Writer