Trail Blazers vs Warriors Saturday, 12/25/10 AT 07:30PM

Preview: Christmas night showdown, Trail Blazers vs. Warriors

12/24/10

  1. Written by: ShalamarClark  / avg. rating: 5.0



    It was only a week ago when the Portland Trail Blazers mustered up a huge defensive stop that prevented an upset and squeezed by the Golden State Warriors 96-95 at home.

    In a Christmas showdown, both teams will reunite for a second time in the regular season as Portland begins a three-game trip at ORACLE Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM.

    It's been hard for the Trail Blazers (15-14) to avoid injuries in this past week. With Marcus Camby (right shoulder), Dante Cunningham (right ankle), Joel Przybilla (left ankle) and Brandon Roy (left knee) all listed as questionable, Portland will have to take advantage of the five days of rest leading up to the holiday matchup.

    The Trail Blazers have won three straight, all coming at the Rose Garden, after destroying Milwaukee 106-80 on Monday.

    LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and a career-high 19 rebounds as the Trail Blazers ran away with it in the second quarter, outscoring the Bucks 34-17.

    Wesley Matthews scored 22 points, Rudy Fernandez had 17, and Nicolas Batum returned after missing the first outing against Golden State due to a shoulder injury and added 10 points.

    On Dec. 18, Portland’s defense stopped Golden State’s Monta Ellis’ game winner in the closing seconds after the Warriors (10-18) trailed by 15 points in the second half.

    Ellis led all scorers with 26 points after finding his touch in the last two quarters. 

    Six Trail Blazers scored in double-digits with Aldridge and Andre Miller tying for 17 points each. Fernandez chipped in with 15 points, while Patrick Mills scored a career-best 12 points off the bench.

    Since their last meeting, Ellis has increased his production on the floor. In Monday’s 121-112 loss to Huston at home, he ended with 44 points, two shy from his career-high, and totaled 36 in a 117-109 overtime win in a back-to-back against Sacramento on the road.  

    Golden State ranks tenth in the league in points per game, averaging 101.5 a contest. The fifth-year guard can take much of the credit after claiming the second spot for top scorers in December, netting 28 points in the month.

    Aldridge, the Trail Blazers’ leading scorer with 19.1 points a game, has stepped up to fill the void left in Portland’s offense from the string of injuries. Aldridge averaged 27. 3 points and 13.6 rebounds in his previous three games and tied his career-high of 36 points hosting Minnesota on Dec. 17.  

    Portland’s bench is going to have to stay active on the road against Golden State, Utah and Denver. During their three-game homestand, the Trail Blazers’ reserves produced 98 points compared to 60 against San Antonio, Memphis and Dallas on their last road trip.

    Greg Oden and Elliot Williams are ruled out with knee injuries for Saturday. 

    Watch the live broadcast on ESPN and KGW-TV with Mike Barrett and Mike Rice, and listen to the play-by-play call from Brain Wheeler and Antonio Harvey on 95.5 FM The Game.

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