LaMarcus Aldridge collected a career-high 40 points and 11 rebounds and Wesley Matthews scored 21 points as the host Portland Trail Blazers got the better of the San Antonio Spurs, 99-86, on Tuesday.
Andre Miller added 18 points and nine assists for the Trail Blazers, who bounced back after a pair of losses last week.
League-leading San Antonio (40-8) was playing the first of its annual nine-game "rodeo" road trip. The Spurs were 44-20 on the trip since 2002 but suffered their first loss in 13 games against Northwest Division foes this season.
The Spurs looked like they were headed toward their 41st win, getting 10 points from DeJuan Blair in the second quarter to help them take a 52-47 lead into the break. But that offense did not make its way out of the locker room as Portland held San Antonio to 34 points in the second half.
With the defense locking down, the Blazers got their offense going by pounding the ball inside to Aldridge, who scored seven straight points early in the third quarter as Portland took the lead.
Manu Ginobili’s 3-pointer at the end of the frame knotted it at 71-71 and San Antonio briefly retook the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. But Aldridge and Matthews combined for 14 points during a 16-5 burst that put the Blazers ahead for good.
Blair, who earlier Tuesday was chosen for the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge during All-Star Weekend along with Matthews and Spurs rookie Gary Neal, finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
San Antonio | Portland | |
Manu Ginobili 17 | Scoring | LaMarcus Aldridge 40 |
Tony Parker 4 | Assists | Andre Miller 9 |
DeJuan Blair 12 | Rebounds | LaMarcus Aldridge 11 |
Tim Duncan 3 | Free Throws Made | LaMarcus Aldridge 8 |
Manu Ginobili 4 | Steals | LaMarcus Aldridge 3 |
DeJuan Blair 1 | Blocks | LaMarcus Aldridge 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
San Antonio | 86 | 42.7 | 8-18 | 8-15 | 14 | 37 | 3 | 7 | 11 |
Portland | 99 | 50.7 | 2-13 | 21-24 | 17 | 37 | 1 | 5 | 10 |