LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 114-88 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA on Saturday.
While Portland were coming off a triple-overtime win in San Antonio, Texas, a night earlier, it was New Orleans who appeared tired. The Pelicans made just 35 percent of their shots, including just three-of-14 shooting by Anthony Davis, who finished with seven points, six rebounds and five blocked shots.
Aldridge played a large role in Portland’s runaway start. His steal off Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans less than a minute in led to a jumper and he then made a free throw on the other end. A fade-away jumper by Aldridge on the next possession was followed by a Wesley Matthews three-pointer.
Aldridge finished off the next two offensive series with long jumpers. Less than four minutes into the game he had nine points and had staked the Trail Blazers to a near double-digit lead.
Blazers point guard Damian Lillard added 17 points and seven assists, while one-time New Orleans center Chris Kaman had 16 points and six rebounds in a reserve role.
Austin Rivers led New Orleans with 21 points, while Ryan Anderson scored 16.
Kyle Korver scored 22 points, including seven points late, to help the Atlanta Hawks hold on for a 104-97 win over the Houston Rockets.
The game was tied with three minutes left before Atlanta used a 7-0 run to make it 97-90 with just under a minute to go. Korver hit one of his four three-pointers during that run.
The Hawks led by 16 points, but Houston used a big third quarter to tie it entering the fourth.
The teams stayed close throughout the fourth quarter, with the lead changing or the game being tied several times, before Atlanta put it away in the final minutes.
Dwight Howard had 19 points and 11 rebounds, while James Harden added 18 points with a season-high 14 assists for the Rockets, who lost their second straight game.
Monta Ellis equaled his season high with 38 points, including 11 during the final four minutes, to spark a late rally as the Dallas Mavericks beat the depleted San Antonio Spurs 99-93 in Rajon Rondo’s debut with the Mavericks.
Rondo, the four-time All-Star who played his first eight-plus seasons with the Boston Celtics, finished with six points on three-for-11 shooting. He had nine assists and seven rebounds.
Marco Belinelli led San Antonio with 21 points. Aron Baynes added a career-high 16 points.
Chris Paul scored nine of his 27 points in the final 4 minutes, 4 seconds and Blake Griffin added 24, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a 106-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 18 points and nine rebounds. Jerryd Bayless and former Clipper Jared Dudley each had 16 points as the Bucks’ bench outscored the Clippers’ bench 59-23.
In other games on Saturday, the Charlotte Hornets beat the Utah Jazz for the first time in six years, 104-86, the Phoenix Suns downed the New York Knicks 99-90 and the Denver Nuggets edged the Indiana Pacers 76-73.
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