|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Shawn Kemp's outside shot finally looked like it was in shape.
Playing with five fouls, Kemp made four jumpers and set up
Lamond Murray's crucial 3-pointer in the final 4:41 Tuesday night
as the Cleveland Cavaliers snapped Portland's six-game winning
streak, stunning the Trail Blazers 103-100.
| | Cleveland's Shawn Kemp prevents Portland's Damon Stoudamire from driving baseline. |
Kemp, struggling with his shot this season, had 28 points and 10
rebounds as Cleveland became the first team to score 100 points
against Portland, the NBA's top team this season, and ended its own
three-game losing skid.
"We beat the best team in the league," Cavs guard Bob Sura
said. "We played harder than they did tonight. They made a good
run at us, but Kemp and Murray won it for us."
"We didn't really deserve to win," Portland's Scottie Pippen
said. "We've been lucky and fortunate to have such a great
record."
Kemp, possibly miffed about newspaper stories saying he is out
of shape again this year, bolted from Gund Arena before talking to
reporters after the game.
The Blazers had plenty to say about him.
"Kemp came up big for them," Brian Grant said. "With the game on the line, he delivered. You can't deny that."
Portland, playing its fifth straight road game, lost for just
the second time in 12 games. The Blazers shot just 40 percent from
the field and made only 5-of-21 3-pointers.
Murray scored 20 points in his first start of the year, rookie
Andre Miller had 12 points and Brevin Knight had 11 points and 12 assists for Cleveland.
Detlef Schrempf's 22 points, 16 in the fourth quarter, paced the
Blazers, who had their worst shooting performance of the season.
Portland looked like it couldn't wait to get back home.
"We came in and looked tired," Grant said. "We've been on the
road and had trouble at the start. That's no excuse. We have to
learn to deal with it. We'd been sitting around for three days and
looked stale."
Steve Smith added 18 points and Damon Stoudamire had 10 assists
for the Blazers. Pippen had 10 points and 11 rebounds in 26
minutes, and spent most of his night jawing with fans near the
Blazers' bench.
Kemp picked up his fifth personal foul with 7:40 remaining and
spent the next three minutes watching as the Cavs, who led by 20 in
the first half, tried to hang on.
He returned with Cleveland leading 85-84 and promptly dropped a
baseline jumper to put Cleveland up three. After Smith's 3-pointer
tied it, Kemp, who entered the game shooting just 40 percent from
the field, hit two more outside jumpers as the teams traded
baskets.
With the score tied at 93, Kemp whipped a pass to Murray, whose
3 gave the Cavs the lead for good. Stoudamire missed a jumper on
Portland's next trip, Kemp rebounded and then drained a 19-footer,
giving the Cavs a 5-point lead.
Pippen said he wasn't surprised Kemp pulled up instead of trying
to take the ball down low.
"Kemp should take those shots," Pippen said. "Those are like
free throws for him."
Cleveland failed to put Portland away at the line, and the
Blazers got within 102-100 on Wallace's putback.
Miller, who pulled the Cavs' offense out of a funk early in the
fourth quarter, then made one of two free throws with nine seconds
left. Pippen tried to intimidate the rookie before his attempts.
"Scottie was just talking to me, saying 'Just miss one for me.
Miss one for me,"' Miller said. "And I did, but it was a lot of
pressure. Everyone was saying something to me."
Miller's miss gave the Blazer one last chance but long 3s by
Schrempf and Wallace were way off just before the buzzer.
After cutting a 20-point deficit to 10 by halftime, the Blazers
pulled within two on Arvydas Sabonis' short hook with 2:04 left in
the third quarter. Following a turnover, Stoudamire drilled a
3-pointer from the right side to give Portland its first lead at
67-66.
Game notes Cleveland outrebounded Portland 51-34. ... Schrempf was
13-of-14 from the line. ... Portland ends its six-game road trip
Wednesday night in Minnesota. ... Sabonis, Portland's 7-foot-4
center, showed off his soccer skills during one stoppage by popping
the ball up off the floor and dribbling it three more times off his
foot. ... The Cavs dressed only 10 players as forward Danny Ferry (calf)
and center Mark Bryant (back) are still bothered by injuries.
| |
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Portland Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Washington 89 Vancouver 87
Atlanta 113 Miami 106
Cleveland 103 Portland 100
Houston 119 Dallas 99
Phoenix 94 Toronto 93
LA Clippers 100 New York 95
Sacramento 105 New Jersey 92
|