Slam Dunk Central

Perhaps if Golden State had guard Monta Ellis available or forward Stephen Jackson didn’t have an off night, they could have made this game interesting. But youth prevailed, as forward Travis Outlaw led the Portland Trail Blazers to an impressive 105-95 victory over the Warriors at the Rose Garden.With both teams tied at 22 after the end of one quarter, Portland went on a 20-6 run capped by James Jones’ 3-pointer and a free throw, giving the Blazers a 42-28 lead. Golden State would rally to close the gap to within 51-46 on forward Austin Croshere’s 3-pointer and trailed by only 54-49 at halftime. The Warriors continued their comeback and narrowed Portland’s lead to 61-60 on a Stephen Jackson steal and dunk. The Warriors’ Baron Davis would give his team the lead on a 16-foot jumper. The Blazers would wake up then pull away with a 12-2 run, going up 79-69 after a jumper by Jones.

A dunk by Outlaw with 3:20 left in the game gave Portland a 100-89 lead, followed by a Jones layup; that spurt would ice the win for the Blazers. Portland’s high scorer was Outlaw with 22 points and 8 rebounds; Brandon Roy and James Jones scored 21 each; Jones recorded four 3-pointers. Joel Przybilla added 15 with 10 boards and 3 blocked shots. Golden State was led by Davis with a solid game, scoring 23 points with 8 rebounds and 11 assists. Matt Barnes added 15 with 12 boards. Portland (10-12) continues their homestand by hosting the Utah Jazz Friday night, while Golden State (12-10) travels south to take on the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center - also on Friday night.