--With Greg Oden saddled with foul trouble -- he played only 11 minutes, contributing five points and one rebound -- Joel Przybilla came off the bench against Utah for one of his most productive games of the season.
The 7-1 center matched Utah's starting five in rebounds (17) and had perhaps the most spectacular play of his nine-year career in the fourth quarter. Przybilla took a lob pass from Rudy Fernandez with one hand and somehow coaxed it into the basket while being fouled, converting the free throw for a three-point play. "I've told Rudy for the past month, 'Quit throwing it in on an angle -- just throw it up,'" Przybilla said.
How would he describe the play?
"Lucky," Przybilla said with a laugh. "What else am I going to say?"
--Brandon Roy made 11 of 19 shots from the field and reached the 30-point mark for the seventh time this season.
"I was happy we controlled the game from the (opening) tip," said Roy, an All-Star selection for the second straight year. "We were the more physical team and the more active."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We need to get hot. As I told the guys this morning, we're warm. If we get Utah tonight, we'll be even warmer. If we can get five in a row (by beating New Orleans), I would say we're hot." -- Portland coach Nate McMillan, after Portland's victory over Utah on Saturday night.
