Trail Blazers 98, Thunder 91
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 32 points as the host Portland Trail Blazers avoided a four-game season sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder, posting a 98-91 victory Friday night.
Nicolas Batum scored 19 off the bench for the Trail Blazers (44-32), who moved past New Orleans and Memphis, both 43-33, by a game into sixth place in the Western Conference. The Hornets lost to the Grizzlies on Friday.
Kevin Durant scored 25 points as Oklahoma City (50-25) had its five-game win streak snapped after shooting just 41 percent and forcing only three turnovers.
Durant, who shot just 5-of-18 in a win over Portland last Sunday, hit his first three shots and scored nine points in the first four minutes of the game but finished 9-of-24 shooting.
Aldridge tallied 10 points during a 25-11 third-quarter blitz, as the Blazers held the Thunder scoreless for a five-minute stretch to take a 78-70 lead into the fourth.
The Thunder got within five on two free throws by Kendrick Perkins with five minutes left in the game, but Andre Miller scored on a layup and added a pair of free throws to push the edge to 90-81 with 3:41 to go. Oklahoma City didn’t get closer than five the rest of the way.