MILWAUKEE -- The Portland Trail Blazers kept up their strong start and extended
the Milwaukee Bucks early-season woes.
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LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points, Damian Lillard added 19 and the Trail
Blazers got their eighth straight win, beat the Bucks 91-82 Wednesday night.
Portland held the lead throughout the second half but had difficulty pulling
away until late in the fourth quarter. "We got a win. Thats all Im worried
about," said Portland guard Wesley Matthews, who had 15 points, all in the first
half to help the Blazers complete a sweep of a four-game Eastern Conference road
trip. "To finish a road trip undefeated and to do it with the defence and energy
that we had in the second half is great," Portland coach Terry Stotts said.
Luke Ridnour scored 13 points to lead the Bucks, who lost their sixth in row and
eight of 10 on the season. They last won on Nov. 6 against Cleveland. Portlands
last loss came a night earlier against Houston. "Our margin of error is very
small," Bucks coach Larry Drew said. "Were trying to dig ourselves out of a hole
and the only way to do that is to play every possession like its going to be the
last possession. Portland is hot, needless to say, but we were right there but
just couldnt get over the hump." Milwaukee pulled within six points late in the
fourth on Caron Butlers 3-pointer. However, Lillard had a breakaway dunk and a 3
of his own to put Portland up 89-78 -- matching the Blazers largest lead of the
game. The Bucks got no closer than seven again. "We are in positions to win
games but in the fourth quarter we are just making mistakes," Milwaukees
Zaza Pachulia said. "We have to keep getting better individually and as a team
because nobody is happy in this locker room." Portland shot just 41 per cent for
the game while winning for the 10th time in 12 games this season. "Our mentality
is right. Were thinking greedy, were thinking win like were supposed to,"
Matthews said. Bucks guard O.J. Mayo, who had nine points, added to the Bucks
injury woes when he sprained his left ankle. Portland opened the third quarter
on a 8-0 run to take a 61-51 lead. The Blazers took an 11-point lead late in the
quarter when Nicolas Batum hit a 3 as he fell to the court. The Bucks responded
as Ersan Ilyasova scored his first points of the contest when he made a 3, then
followed it with a leaner in the lane to cut the deficit to 70-64 at the end of
the quarter. Portland held a 53-51 lead at the half. The second quarter ended
with an exchange of traditional three-point plays. Lillard drew a foul after
making a reverse layup on a strong drive to the basket. Ridnour then made an
acrobatic floater along the baseline while being fouled as the clock wound down.
Ridnour, who has been battling a back injury, had 11 first-half points for the
Bucks. Milwaukee shot 50 per cent over the first two quarters, compared to
nearly 49 per cent for the Blazers. Milwaukee finished the game at 44 per cent,
while Portland connected on just 41 per cent of its shots. Stotts said he was
disappointed with his teams first-half defence. "In the first half, there were
three or four times where we had a chance to really nail down a defensive
possession and it seemed like (Milwaukee) came up with the ball and finished the
play." Matthews, returning to the arena where he starred in college for
Marquette, scored 13 points in the first quarter, including a trio of 3-point
field goals, but the Bucks held a 24-23 lead. NOTES: Ilyasova and Butler
returned to the Bucks lineup after missing time because of injuries. Ilyasova
saw his first action since Nov. 2. Brandon Knight remained out with a sore
hamstring. Ten players saw action in the opening period for the Bucks, who
dressed only eight players for a Nov. 13 game against Orlando. ... Portland has
won eight in a row in the same season for the first time since a 13-game streak
in December 2007.
Jonathan Ogden Jersey . What general manager
Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing
a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday.
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of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at .
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. -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the
Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers
has been cleared to return from a left collarbone injury, just in time to start
Sunday for the Packers against the Chicago Bears in a game to decide the NFC
North title. With no advance warning and little fanfare, the franchise
quarterback received the long-awaited good news at the same time as the rest of
his teammates Thursday. "This is a fun day for me, but I think the focus needs
to be on this game and the opportunity we have to win the division," Rodgers
said. Soon enough. But the spotlight for now is squarely on the return of one of
the NFLs most irreplaceable players. Green Bay (7-7-1) is 2-5-1 since Rodgers
went down during the first series of a 27-20 loss Nov. 4 to Chicago. The Packers
have managed to hang on, with a shot to win a third straight division title with
a victory Sunday at Soldier Field. "Ill start with the announcement that were
preparing for the Chicago Bears with Aaron Rodgers as our starting quarterback,"
coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Thursday after practice. Win and Green Bay
returns to Lambeau Field the following weekend to host a wild-card team in the
first round of the playoffs. "Were in it. You know we have a chance against our
rivals, and what a better way than to go down there and get some redemption and
host a home playoff game," Rodgers said. The last two months have been filled
with angst for Packers fans. Discussions about whether Rodgers should risk
future injury or return to bolster Green Bays playoff chances have filled sports
talk radio shows and holiday office parties. Now imagine what it was like for
the Packers brass and team doctor. The organization made a big investment in
Rodgers this past off-season, signing him to a five-year contract extension
through the 2019 season worth as much as $110 million. "Every football player
that plays in this game Sunday will have risk. I think we all understand that,"
McCarthy said. "So weve done our due diligence. Weve gone through all the
evaluations and we feel it is time. Aaron is ready to play." Finally at 8:05
a.m. Thursday, McCarthy gave the official word at a team meeting. NNo rousing
speeches or rounds of applause.
Kyle Arrington Ravens Jersey. "The scene? We
were sitting in the team room and he told us," Rodgers said matter-of-factly.
"That was the scene." Rodgers is returning just when pass-rushing linebacker
Clay Matthews is leaving the lineup again with a right thumb injury. Green Bay
also has gone the majority of the season without tight end Jermichael Finley
(neck). Projected starting left tackle Bryan Bulaga went down in training camp.
Defensive end Johnny Jolly (shoulder/neck) was the latest Packer to get knocked
out for the year last week. Still, the Packers managed to start 5-2 despite the
injuries with Rodgers leading the offence. Things changed drastically after the
2011 NFL MVP got hurt on a sack while scrambling out of the pocket in the Week 9
loss to Chicago at Lambeau Field. The Packers went on a five-game winless skid,
shuffling through three more starting quarterbacks. Green Bay then won two
straight with backup Matt Flynn before falling 38-31 last week to the Pittsburgh
Steelers. Losses by Chicago and the Detroit Lions set up the winner-take-all
finale Sunday with the Bears for the division. Rodgers impending return wasnt
the only good injury news Thursday in Titletown. Rookie running back Eddie Lacy
was held out of practice with a lingering ankle injury, though McCarthy expects
his 1,100-yard rusher to play Sunday. Playmaking receiver Randall Cobb, out
since Week 6 with a leg injury, is moving well in practice and appears to be
getting closer to returning. While he wont make the final call, Cobb said "This
week in practice Im going out and preparing to play." And now with Rodgers back,
positive vibes are reverberating through the locker room. Rodgers has gained
added perspective from having to watch from the sideline with a headset. Hes
been there to help Flynn. He understands that every move he makes in Chicago
will be dissected by armchair quarterbacks. "Its easy to talk about it with you
guys and understand the risks," he said. "But when youre out on the field, its
about performing and playing and not worrying about it."
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