--F Travis Outlaw had shot only .375 from the field in the preseason, but he was on from the start Tuesday, scoring seven points in each of the first two quarters. The 6-9 Outlaw -- who divided time between small forward and power forward -- finished with a game-high 23 points, making 9 of 14 shots from the field, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
Outlaw also had four rebounds, two assists and two steals while playing 33 minutes -- more than any Blazer but Roy. "Travis had his shot going and he was working hard at the defensive end," Portland coach Nate McMillan said.
--C Greg Oden didn't have a big night despite being guarded by 6-6 Chuck Hayes. The Blazers' 7-footer had 12 rebounds and five blocks. But Oden also picked up five fouls that limited him to 26 minutes, had seven turnovers and scored only two points -- a putback with a minute remaining.
"It was all right for the first game," Oden said. "You definitely want a lot more points, but I did some good things that don't show up in the stat sheet. I feel OK with the performance. I want to cut down on the turnovers, but we came through with a victory."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We played hard, played aggressive. We were sloppy, had way too many turnovers. We built a lead, but the biggest thing is, we didn't put them away when we had a chance to. But again, first game. We're just happy to take this win. That's one under our belt." -- G Brandon Roy
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