PORTLAND, Ore.
Amari Cooper Jersey . -- Two dunks from Paul Millsap and a pair of Portland turnovers helped the Utah Jazz overcome a three-game stumble in their chase for a playoff spot. Paul Millsap finished with 31 points, including the go-ahead dunk with 1:11 to go, and the Jazz beat the Trail Blazers 102-97 Monday night to move within a game of Houston for the eighth and final post-season berth in the Western Conference. "The will not to lose, the will to make it to that next level to get in the playoffs, it came out," said Millsap, who added 11 rebounds to help Utah avoid matching its longest losing streak of the season. Utah dropped four straight from Feb. 19-28. LaMarcus Aldridge hit two straight jumpers to pull the Blazers to a 94-all tie before Wesley Matthews made a 3-pointer to give Portland the lead with 2:35 left in the game. After Al Jeffersons short jumper narrowed it for the Jazz, Raymond Felton had the first of two crucial turnovers for the Blazers and Millsaps dunk gave Utah back the lead. Jamaal Tinsleys steal on Nicolas Batums inbound pass to Felton led to another dunk for Millsap to make it 100-97 with 20.9 seconds to go and the Blazers couldnt catch up. Batum took the blame for the steal. "Thats on me because I have to watch everything," he said. But Felton took the ire of the fans for his role in both turnovers. One fan angrily proclaimed as he left the Rose Garden that he wouldnt renew his season tickets unless the Blazers got rid of the much-maligned point guard in the off-season. "Im just as mad as anyone else," Felton said. "Aint no one as mad as I am." Matthews led the Blazers with 33 points and Aldridge added 27. Jefferson had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz. Gordon Hayward had 20 points. "We didnt want (the Blazers) to be able to get the ball where they wanted to get it," Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said about the final moments. "Jamaal did a great job of getting his hand in there and getting the steal, and a great save to get control of it and run the clock a little bit. Great effort play." Tinsley started in the second half in place of Devin Harris, who sprained his left ankle in the first half. Harris was averaging 10.1 points and 4.9 assists for Utah coming into the game. Portland, coming off a 119-106 victory over Minnesota the night before, was without Jamal Crawford, who has tendinitis in his right knee. But the Blazers did see the return of Joel Przybilla, who sat out against the Timberwolves because of a right knee sprain. Portland led by as many as 14 in the first half but Utah pulled ahead with a 16-0 run bridging halftime. The Blazers took a 27-17 lead on Aldridges dunk off an alley-oop from Matthews. Luke Babbitt hit a 3-pointer that extended it to 43-29. The Jazz closed the gap as the half wound down, pulling to 57-54 at the break. Utah opened the second half on a 10-0 run, going up 64-57 on Millsaps long jumper. The Jazz stretched the lead to as many as 11 but Portland rallied to pull within 71-69 on a dunk by Aldridge. J.J. Hicksons dunk got the Blazers as close as 79-78, but the Jazz kept Portland at bay to take an 83-78 lead going into the fourth quarter. Portland fell to 5-6 under interim coach Kaleb Canales, who took over when Nate McMillan was fired at the trade deadline. Canales has been juggling his lineups while dealing with different injuries. After the loss to the Jazz, the 34-year-old interim coach was clearly disappointed. He wouldnt say that the Blazers were ready to give up on the playoffs, but Portland was four games back of Houston and three back of Utah in the conference. "Were staying in the moment and were taking it game by game," he said. "This one is going to hurt until 12:01 tonight and then we have to turn the page and look forward to tomorrow." Notes: Matthews made 10 of 12 shots from the field, becoming one of just six NBA players to have 33 points on 12 or fewer shots since 1995, according to the Blazers. Hes the first since Yao Ming on Dec. 5, 2008. ... Babbitt, in his second year with the Blazers, has flourished as hes been getting more minutes with multiple 3-pointers in six straight games. ... The Jazz were coming off a 105-96 loss to the Clippers on Saturday. ... Injured Jazz G Raja Bell had an injection in his injured left knee on Monday and remains out indefinitely, the team said. Bell has missed 11 games with the injury. ... The Jazz return home to host Phoenix on Wednesday. ... Portland hosts New Jersey on Wednesday.
Austin Howard Jersey .com) - It may just be the right place and the right opponent for the Detroit Red Wings to snap their longest losing streak of the season.
Justin Ellis Jersey . -- Max Domi scored twice and set up two more as the London Knights toppled the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 6-4 on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action.MILWAUKEE -- Marcus Thornton knew he was getting a second chance with the Nets and he made the most of it in just his third game with his new team. Thornton scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead Brooklyn to a 107-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. Brooklyns Kevin Garnett missed the game with back spasms but wasnt needed as the Nets never trailed in the second half against the NBAs worst team. Thornton, playing in his third game for Brooklyn since being obtained in a Feb. 19 trade with Sacramento, came off the bench to make 8 of 13 from the field to help the Nets finish their seven-game road trip 4-3. "Im coming to a team with all these veterans, that know how to win, that have championship aspirations and have championships under their belts already, and a coach that has a championship, too," Thornton said. "I knew it would be a great situation." The 6-foot-4 guard signed a four-year, $31.2 million contract with Sacramento in 2011, but averaged only 8.3 points while shooting 38 per cent in 46 games for the Kings this season. Nets coach Jason Kidd wanted to see whether Thornton -- criticized by Sacramento coach Michael Malone for his defensive play -- could step up offensively and defensively at the end of games. "I want to find out coming down the stretch defensively can guys count on him, and then offensively can we count on him," Kidd said. "We know he can shoot the ball, put the ball in the basket, but coming down the stretch can he make plays? "This was a great opportunity to see that after a long trip, he stepped up," Kidd said. Milwaukee coach Larry Drew said his team struggled defensively, allowing 42 points in the paint. "Just too many defensive mistakes," he said. "Bad rotations. Going into the game one of the things we wanted to do was really try to affect them down on the block." Andray Blatche added 19 points and 13 rebounds for Brooklyn, including eight points and 10 rebounds in the fourth quarter. Jason Collins, who signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn last Sunday, was held scoreless in 8 minutes. Khris Middleton and Ramon Sessions scored 16 points apiece for Milwaukeee.
Brice Butler Jersey. "We didnt get the stops we needed," Middleton said. "We let them get so many things too easy. Our room for error is very small." Brooklyn has gone 18-8 in 2014 after opening the season 10-21. The Nets (28-29) play Chicago at home on Monday night with the chance to get back to .500 for the first time since being 2-2 on Nov. 5. "I dont think we have to concentrate on that right now," Andrei Kirilenko said of getting to .500. "We have been playing pretty good games. We need to stick with our game plan. Thats the only thing." The Nets play seven of their next 10 games at home, where they have won 10 of their last 12. Thornton hit a pair of 3-pointers, Paul Pierce made another 3 and Blatche scored on a putback as Brooklyn used an 11-6 run to open a 100-91 lead with 2:46 left. "I kind of felt disrespected because he played so far back," Thornton said with a laugh of Milwaukees Jeff Adrien while talking about his fourth-quarter jumpers. "It was one of those things. I tried to make the shots when the opportunity presented itself." Milwaukee never got closer than six points the rest of the game. Mirza Teletovic hit a 3-pointer to cap an 8-2 run opening the fourth quarter, giving the Nets an 85-74 lead with 10:04 left in the game. The Bucks then had an 11-4 run to pull within 89-85 on a pair of free throws by Giannis Antetokounmpo before Thornton sparked the Nets down the stretch. Brooklyn used a 20-11 run to open the second half and took a 75-64 lead on Joe Johnsons 3-pointer with 4:27 to go in the third quarter. Deron Williams scored 13 points in the first half and the Nets took a 55-53 lead at halftime. Brooklyn took the lead for good, 43-40, on Thorntons 3-pointer with 7:29 to go in the second quarter. NOTES: Rookie Mason Plumlee made his third start for Brooklyn, scoring five points in 11 minutes. ... Garnett has missed six games for rest, but this was only the second one he missed due to injury. ... The Bucks honoured former player Junior Bridgeman, whose No. 2 is retired by the team, in the fourth quarter. ... Milwaukees Zaza Pachulia has missed 21 of 26 shots in the teams last five games
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