SALT LAKE CITY -- Blowing out Utah for a second time this month was not in the cards for Portland. With the Jazz making a fourth-quarter rally, the Blazers struggled to fight through offensive sluggishness and escape with a win. Nicolas Batum and Damian Lillard provided the lifeline in the final minute. Batum drained a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock and Lillard followed with another shot from long-range on the next possession to lift the Blazers to a 105-94 victory over the Jazz on Monday night. "The ball bounced their way a few times," Lillard said. "We knew it would be tough because we just played them two or three days ago. Theyre a better a team on their home floor. With us not having the greatest offensive night, we just wanted to stay the course and get the job done -- which we were able to do." LaMarcus Aldridge scored 24 points and Damian Lillard added 18 to propel Portland to a bounce back win after a loss to Dallas on Saturday snapped a four-game winning streak. Robin Lopez chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Wesley Matthews added 16 points for the Blazers, who notched their second win over Utah in December. Reserve Alec Burks had 20 points for the Jazz, who dropped their fourth game in a row. Enes Kanter added 19 points and Gordon Hayward chipped in 17 for Utah, which trailed the entire second half after nine ties and nine lead changes in the first half. "I thought we were doing a better job out there," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "I thought execution on the offensive end is getting a lot better. Were sharing the ball." Portland played clean basketball to build a second-half cushion and hold off a late Jazz rally. The Blazers had 23 assists and shot 47.1 per cent (40 of 85) from the floor, while committing just 11 turnovers. Portland broke open a close game by making six straight baskets to start the third quarter. Aldridge drained a jumper to start the run and Matthews capped the spurt with a 3-pointer, giving Portland a 64-51 lead at the 8:29 mark. Kanter made a pair of baskets to shave the lead to 64-57. It only set the stage for another Blazers run. This time, Portland rattled off four unanswered baskets -- capped by Lopezs layup -- to extend its lead to 72-57 with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter. The Blazers shot a blistering 61.1 per cent (11 of 18) from the field in the third quarter. And they did it by finding holes in the Jazz defence and attacking them with precision. "With our offence, I want us to be opportunistic with whatever the game gives us," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "If it gives us 3s, we knock them down. If it gives us the paint, thats good too with LaMarcus on the block. One thing weve done well with offensively is we take what the game gives us." Utah made another run at the Blazers midway through the fourth quarter. Back-to-back jumpers from Hayward cut Portlands lead to single digits. Then, Trey Burke made a pair of free throws to bring the Jazz within 89-82 with 5:45 remaining. Utah cut the lead to seven several more times and pulled within 97-92 on a pair of free throws from Hayward with 1:28 left. But then Batum and Lillard drained their consecutive 3-pointers to put the game out of reach during the final minute. "You play good D for like 22 or 23 seconds and they hit the crazy shots," Kanter said. "Its tough you know -- thats basketball. You cant think about it. We just need to learn how to close games." Burke and Kanter put on a two-man show for the Jazz in the first quarter. The duo combined for 13 of Utahs first 15 points to help the Jazz keep pace with the Blazers. Portland created a small cushion late in the first half. Trailing by one after a layup by Kanter, the Blazers scored six straight points and took a 40-35 lead on a pair of free throws from Aldridge. They extended the lead to 49-41 after Lopez dunked and Aldridge scored an uncontested layup on back-to-back possessions. "We played sluggish tonight," Aldridge said. "We didnt have that killer (instinct) in us tonight. Guys were just tired tonight. Every game cant be great. I thought tonight was a good win for us because we came here and didnt make shots, but guys still put it up." NOTES: Portland notched its first win in its last six trips to Utah. The Trail Blazers are off to their best start since 1990-91, when they won 27 of 30 games to open the season. Utah announced that former coach Jerry Sloan will be honoured with a banner raising ceremony on Jan. 31. Sloan coached the team from 1988 to 2011, recording 1,127 victories during his tenure. . Lopez had his ninth double-double of the season. ... Batum matched a season-high with 11 assists. . Burks is averaging 16.6 points per game in his last seven games for the Jazz. Cecil Shorts III Texans Jersey . CATHARINES, Ont. 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After two months of mediocrity, perhaps the Washington Nationals have turned the page. Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings Wednesday night and the Nationals kept the Philadelphia Phillies bats quiet yet again in an 8-4, rain-interrupted win. The Nationals have won four of five, outscoring the Texas Rangers and Phillies 34-10 during that span. True, five games represent barely more than 3 per cent of the regular-season schedule, but they had to start somewhere. "Its been a lot of fun for us, pitching the ball good and swinging the bat well," said leadoff hitter Denard Span, who had two doubles and two RBIs. "Hopefully we keep it going." Strasburg (5-4) had the Phillies flailing as he hit double digits in Ks for the 15th time in his career -- and for the fourth time without issuing a walk. Ten of the right-handers 11 strikeouts were swinging, including Marlon Byrd (95 mph fastball), Ryan Howard (95 mph fastball) and Domonic Brown (88 mph change-up) when the rain started to fall in the sixth inning. "Facing a lefty-heavy lineup is difficult," Washington manager Matt Williams said. "But he used his changeup really well and spotted his fastball." The only consolation for the Phillies is that they scored an earned run for the first time in four games when facing the Nationals ace. The streak reached 25 innings before Philadelphia crossed the plate twice in the fifth -- once earned, once unearned. John Mayberry Jr. added a two-run pinch-hit homer in the seventh, but by then Strasburg had been working with a cushion of a half-dozen runs. The tarp came out shortly afterward, delaying the game for 1 hour, 48 minutes. Anthony Rendon finished with three hits and three RBIs, including a solo homer. Danny Espinosa had a two-run double that was a foot or so away from a grand slam, and Strasburg himself added a single, walk and run scored for the Nationals, who aare above .dddddddddddd500 for the first time in two weeks. "The offence has kind of kicked it back in," Williams said. Philadelphias A.J. Burnett (3-5) again had control issues in his worst outing of the season. Tied for the majors lead in walks entering the game, he issued four more free passes, including back-to-back walks in Washingtons four-run fourth and a walk to Strasburg in the three-run sixth. "Theyre unaggressive walks. I dont care if theres a base open. Thats not me," Burnett said. "Thats putting me in passive mode. Thats my fault. Ive got to go after hitters. I dont care if a base is open. I dont care whos up. I mean, thats not who I am. Ill take six aggressive walks over boo-boo walks that are 3-0 sliders, 3-0 curveballs or whatever it is." Burnett allowed eight runs over six innings. He was particularly bothered by the home run he gave up to Rendon in the fifth immediately after the Phillies had cut a 4-0 lead to 4-2. "For somebody who harps on shutdown innings, Im pretty (bad) at it," he said. "And I will be better. Guys throws up runs, you need to put up zeroes after that." The Phillies have lost five straight and are an NL-worst 9-19 since May 4. "Sun is going to come up, believe or not," Burnett said. "It might be a little cloudy." NOTES: It was Burnetts first loss against the Expos-Nationals franchise since April 8, 2002, when his Florida Marlins fell 10-2 to Montreal. He had been 5-0 in nine starts and one relief appearance against the franchise since then. ... Phillies leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins had the first four-strikeout game of his 15-year career. ... Mayberry has three pinch-hit homers this season. ... X-rays taken Wednesday on Darin Ruf were negative a day after the Phillies outfielder collided with a concrete wall during a game with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Ruf has a sprained left wrist and a cut on his right knee that required stitches, but he has no broken bones. He is on the seven-day disabled list. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys Ray Ban Outlet Michael Kors Outlet Michael Kors Sale Cheap Michael Kors ' ' '
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