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Sports

Blazers end Thunder's streak at 5 with 98-91 win

Associated Press
Published | Updated

PORTLAND, Ore. – LaMarcus Aldridge scored 32 points and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped Oklahoma City's five-game winning streak with a 98-91 victory over the Thunder on Friday night.

Nicolas Batum added 19 points for the Blazers, who have won seven straight at the Rose Garden. Portland sat in the sixth spot in the Western Conference, a game ahead of New Orleans and Memphis.

Portland led by as many as 12 points early in the fourth quarter, while Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant struggled to find his shot and Kendrick Perkins sat because of foul trouble.

The Thunder, fourth in the conference, closed to 93-88 on Durant's 3-pointer, but couldn't catch up in the end. Durant led the Thunder with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

The Trail Blazers had lost three of their last six games, including a 99-90 loss at Oklahoma City last Sunday. Portland was coming off a 95-91 loss at New Orleans.

Oklahoma City was coming off a 116-98 victory over Phoenix on Wednesday.

Durant scored 11 points as the Thunder built a 22-12 lead in the first quarter. Oklahoma would lead by as many as 12 early.

The Blazers closed to 47-45 midway through the second quarter on Batum's 3-pointer, but Durant answered from long range.

Batum came on as a reserve after Blazers coach Nate McMillan switched up his lineup, starting center Marcus Camby and moving Gerald Wallace to small forward.

Oklahoma City led 30-20 at the break. James Harden had 17 points for the Thunder.

Aldridge's dunk and Wesley Matthews' 3-pointer narrowed it to 65-64, but Matthews missed a layup that would have put Portland in front.

Matthews redeemed himself by making a pair of free throws, and Aldridge made a turnaround jumper that gave the Blazers a 68-65 lead.

Portland went up 72-65 after Aldridge made another jumper to cap a 15-0 run. The Thunder was hampered because Kendrick Perkins was on the bench after four fouls.

Wallace opened up the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to give the Blazers a 81-70 lead.

Durant missed a string of 11 straight shots from the floor in the second half.

Notes: Dan Aykroyd attended the game, sitting next to team owner and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. ... Oklahoma City went 14-2 in March, the best month in franchise history. ... Aldridge has been named the Northwest Division winner and a finalist for this year's NBA Sportsmanship Award.