LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and 14 rebounds, reserve Chris Kaman scored 16 points and the Portland Trail Blazers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 94-88 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.
Damian Lillard added 12 points and five assists for Portland, which began a brief East swing. Nicolas Batum also had 12 points.
Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger had 19 points apiece for Boston, which dropped its fifth in six games. Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo each scored 13. Rondo added eight assists and six rebounds.
The game was tied at 72-all after three quarters before the Trail Blazers took charge with a 17-5 run to start the fourth. Wesley Matthews and Lillard each hit a 3- pointer just over a minute apart.
Boston missed 12 of its first 14 shots in the quarter.
The Celtics made a brief spurt, closing it to 92-88 on consecutive 3s by Bradley and Sullinger with 90 seconds to go, but they were unable to make shots in the final minute.
Portland shot just 35.4 percent in the opening half, but started 6 of 7 in the second and took their first lead of the game at 59-57 on Aldridge’s layup. The teams were then tied five times in the final 4 minutes of the third.
Before the game. Portland coach Terry Stotts talked about his team needing to stop its habit of slow starts. It didn’t happen, as the Trail Blazers missed 12 of their first 13 shots from the floor and fell behind by 10 midway into the second quarter.
The Celtics return to action on Friday at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: It was just the fourth road game of the season for the Blazers. They’ve played nine at home, winning eight to help them get off to a great start this season. Stotts knows a short trip with three games in the East could be tough. “It’s part of the NBA. Going West to East is a challenge,” he said. … G C.J. McCollum missed his second straight with a fractured right index finger.
Celtics: Boston coach Brad Stevens said the club’s medical staff thinks guard Marcus Smart (sprained left ankle) could start practicing again in the “middle of the week.” … The Celtics sent G/F James Young to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League on Sunday. He’s expected back Monday.
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