Recap: Portland vs. Miami
Sports Network | November 27, 2008
Portland, OR (Sports Network) - Channing Frye led six Portland players in double figures with 17 points, and the Trail Blazers blew out the Miami Heat, 106-68, at the Rose Garden.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 points and seven rebounds for Portland, which has won four of five. Greg Oden added 10 points and 10 boards in the win.
Michael Beasley scored 14 points to pace the Heat, who have lost two in a row and three of four. Dwyane Wade finished with 12 points, six rebounds and six assists.
"We need to forget about it," Wade said of the loss. "We need to understand that it's going to be tough out here. We've got to play very hard to get a win. We're not going to get things -- it's not going to go our way. We've just got to forget about this game and move forward to the next one."
Miami shot just 34.5 percent from the floor, including a 2-of-19 effort from behind the arc. The Heat got to the free throw line 10 times, and made eight.
The blowout started immediately, as Portland opened the game on a 12-0 run, with Oden, Aldridge and 19-year-old rookie Nicolas Batum each contributing four points. The Blazers continued to pull away, and took a 37-17 lead into the second quarter after a Rudy Fernandez three-pointer closed out the first.
"His knack for the game, being 19, is just ridiculous." Frye said of Batum. "He's a great addition to our team. I think quietly he's becoming one of our guys we can rely on. He's so annoying on defense; he's everywhere. He doesn't get tired. He's always hustling and he gets the open shots."
Portland held the margin, and led 59-40 at halftime and 76-57 after three quarters. The Blazers opened the fourth on another 12-0 run, which Fernandez closed out with a triple for an 88-57 lead.
"I thought the start of the game was very important for us," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said. "It's tough on a team like Miami to come across the country and play the first game on a trip. We didn't want to give them anything to be confident about."
Miami was held to just 11 points in the final quarter, as Portland cruised to the finish for the win.
Portland shot 49.4 percent from the field, and 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from three-point range...The Blazers had 17 turnovers, while the Heat had only nine...Portland's all-time record for margin of victory is 50 points, accomplished in a November 21, 1982 win over Cleveland.
