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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The two sides of Rasheed Wallace were on
display Thursday night.
|  | | Rasheed Wallace scored 19 points before something snapped and he was ejected in the fourth. |
The Portland Trail Blazers' All-Star forward scored 19 points despite a chest cold that sent him to the locker room for a few minutes in the first quarter with breathing problems. Then in the fourth quarter, he was ejected after receiving his league-leading 27th technical of the season -- and threw a towel that hit official Gary Benson in the head as Wallace was being restrained by his coaches and teammates.
After Wallace left with 8:56 remaining, Steve Smith scored 15 of his 17 fourth-quarter points as the Blazers held on for a 100-92
victory over the Phoenix Suns.
"To lose your best player is a hell of a spot to give another team," Portland coach Mike Dunleavy said. "You always worry about being at risk for him getting thrown out of the game. There was a lot of time left."
Trailing 95-85 with two minutes remaining, the Suns scored seven
straight to close within 95-92 on a Cliff Robinson 3-pointer with
48 seconds remaining.
After a free throw by Portland's Arvydas Sabonis made it 96-92,
Jason Kidd missed a wide-open layup with 29 seconds left and the
Blazers closed it out with four free throws by Smith.
Robinson scored a season-high 42 points but received little help
from Kidd, who shot just 4-for-16 from the field and finished with
10 points.
Portland backup point guard Greg Anthony said Wallace's ejection
wasn't a distraction for the team. It was the third time this
season Wallace was ejected.
"It's not a distraction. It's not an issue. He's never cost us a game," Anthony said. "I much prefer him getting techs every now and then and bringing what he brings every night than for him to be a choirboy."
Smith led the Blazers with 20 points. Damon Stoudamire added 17
points and 10 assists for Portland, and Arvydas Sabonis came off
the bench to score 15 points.
"Smith really got it going in the fourth, and we couldn't stop
him," Phoenix coach Scott Skiles said.
The Blazers had trailed most of the first half and were down
49-45 two minutes into the third quarter when Stoudamire ignited a
21-6 run with a 3-pointer,
On the next play, Stoudamire fed Wallace on a dunk that gave the
Blazers the lead for the first time since 32-31 midway through the
second.
The run also included an alley-oop from Bonzi Wells to Dale
Davis, a basket by Stoudamire, who rebounding his first two misses,
and a layup by Wells, assisted by Stoudamire, to make it 66-55 with
3:55 left in the third quarter.
"The third quarter has been our downfall all year, as we keep
giving up big leads," said Kidd. "We were right there, but I
couldn't make anything happen."
The Suns closed within 69-62 with 58 seconds left in the third
quarter on a jumper by Kidd, but free throws by Smith and a long
jumper by Stoudamire increased the Blazers' lead to nine heading
into the fourth quarter.
Kidd entered the game coming off a 17-point, 10-assist performance in his first homecourt appearance since a domestic incident with his wife. He was booed by Portland fans every time he touched the ball.
The Suns entered the game as one of only two teams to beat the
Blazers twice this season. The Kings are the other.
Game notes
Phoenix forward Tom Gugliotta, sidelined for five games
with a sore left knee, was activated Thursday and entered the game
in the second quarter with a bulky black bandage on his knee. He
did not score. ... Portland's Detlef Schrempf, who wanted to retire
after last season but was convinced by Trail Blazers officials to
stay on the roster, played for the first time this season. He
played 14 minutes but scored no points. ... The Blazers are 23-5
against the Eastern Conference and, even with the Phoenix win, are
just 11-9 in the Western Conference.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Phoenix Clubhouse
Portland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Minnesota 90
Cleveland 81
Dallas 95
Miami 91
Philadelphia 87
New York 80
LA Clippers 101
Houston 84
Utah 87
Charlotte 76
Portland 100
Phoenix 92
Seattle 97
Chicago 91
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Mike Dunleavy Official Site
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