--F LaMarcus Aldridge (21) and G Brandon Roy (17) were on fire in the first half, combining for 38 points to outscore the Spurs by themselves in the half. Aldridge finished the game 10-for-14 from the field while Roy was 11-for-17 -- a strict departure from the last game between the teams (a 98-84 Spurs win at San Antonio on Wednesday), when he struggled to a 5-for-18 shooting performance.
The Spurs "guarded me a certain way in San Antonio and I wasn't able to make the shots," Roy said. "I was upset with myself. I felt they were shots I usually make. "(Sunday night), I was ready to make that shot. I didn't make any adjustments; I just concentrated a little more on the shot... and LaMarcus did a good job of bringing in the rest of the guys and following (Roy's lead)."
--In Wednesday's game -- in which the Spurs were without injured stars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili -- Tony Parker guided them to victory with 39 points. Sunday, with Duncan returning to the lineup, the All-Star point guard was much less effective, finishing with 15 points and four assists in 28 minutes.
Blake had been outscored 39-0 by Parker in the previous meeting, Blake missing all nine of his shots from the field. Blake was much better Sunday, scoring eight of his 15 points in the first quarter and sinking 5-of-8 shots, including 3-of-3 from three-point range.
"It's never personal with me," said Blake, who also doled out six assists. "I had a rough game (on Wednesday), and this was the next game to play them. No matter what happened before, I just go out and compete, play hard.
"We were really good defensively. We did what it took as a team. It wasn't just one guy. When somebody gets beat, the next guy's there to help him, and then the next guy's there to help that guy."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The Blazers played a (heck) of a game. They came out aggressively and physically, and on top of that they made shots, executed well and got us back on our heels. They kicked our butts in the first half and then they just coasted to the win. They were great in every way and did us in." -- San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, after Portland's easy win over the Spurs.
