National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Portland 98, Cleveland 78
When: 9:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 8, 2012
Where: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Officials: #54 Derrick Collins, #22 Bill Spooner, #31 Scott Wall
Attendance: 20292
By SportsDirect Inc.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points, Wes Matthews added 24 and the Portland Trail Blazers used a 12-point run late in the third quarter to pull away from the Cleveland Cavaliers and remain unbeaten at home with a 98-78 victory on Sunday night.

The Blazers shot just 41 percent, but faced an ice-cold Cavaliers team that committed 24 turnovers and shot just 37 percent. Cleveland's starting frontcourt of Antawn Jamison and Omri Casspi combined to shoot 5 of 18. They were outscored by the Blazers’ starting frontcourt by a 44-13 margin.

A 3-pointer by Jamison pulled the Cavaliers within 57-53 with 3:33 remaining, but Cleveland turned the ball over four times and missed three shots on its next seven possessions as the Blazers pulled away.

A layup by Matthews pushed the lead to 69-53 in the final minute of the third quarter and the Blazers built the lead to 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland rookie Kyrie Irving had 21 points and four assists, but turned it over four times and had three shots blocked on drives to the basket.

Top Game Performances
 
Cleveland   Portland
Kyrie Irving 21 Scoring LaMarcus Aldridge 28
Kyrie Irving 4 Assists Raymond Felton 7
Antawn Jamison 11 Rebounds Marcus Camby 9
Samardo Samuels 4 Free Throws Made LaMarcus Aldridge 8
Samardo Samuels 2 Steals LaMarcus Aldridge 4
Tristan Thompson 3 Blocks Kurt Thomas 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Cleveland 78 36.7 3-24 17-24 17 46 5 8 24
Portland 98 41.3 6-23 16-18 27 42 6 14 14
Upcoming Games
  • Portland will play their next game at home against L.A. Clippers. The Trail Blazers have a W/L % of .600 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Cleveland will play their next game on the road against Utah. The Cavaliers have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .750 after a loss.