Blazers beat Nuggets 107-106 in OT
By ANNE M. PETERSON, AP Sports Writer
With out Carmelo Anthony what would be the future of the Denver Nuggets?
PORTLAND, Ore. – LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Brandon Roy hit the tying 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds left in regulation, and the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 107-106 in overtime on Friday night.
Roy added 18 points in just his second game since coming back from arthroscopic surgery on both knees. He was supposed to be limited to 15 minutes but played 25, as new acquisition Gerald Wallace was not yet available.
Newcomer Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 30 points and nine rebounds.
Wesley Matthews' 3-pointer gave the Blazers a 100-97 lead in the extra period, but Arron Afflalo's 3-pointer tied it at 104.
Afflalo's 12-foot jumper gave Denver the lead with a minute left. After Matthews missed one of two free throws, Aldridge hit a pair to put Portland up 107-106 with 23 seconds left.
Gallinari missed a 3-pointer and Afflalo missed another on an inbound at the buzzer to give the Blazers the victory.
The Nuggets had an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but Portland closed to 80-78 on Matthews' follow shot with just under six minutes to go. Wilson Chandler answered with a 3-pointer for Denver and Raymond Felton added a jumper to thwart the threat.
The Blazers pulled within 91-88 on Roy's layup, but Afflalo's 3-pointer made it 94-88. Roy added a 3 with 39 seconds left to make it 94-91.
After Felton's jumper, Rudy Fernandez hit a 3-pointer to keep the Blazers close. Gallinari made a pair of free throws before Roy hit another clutch three to tie it at 97 with 5.8 seconds to go and send the game to overtime.
Both teams were getting used to some major moves before the trade deadline.
The Nuggets are integrating five new players after sending All-Star Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the New York Knicks. The new group was coming off an 89-75 victory over the Boston Celtics in Denver on Thursday night.
Chandler got his first start with Denver against the Blazers because Kenyon Martin had the flu and did not make the trip.
Before the game, the Blazers introduced Wallace, acquired in a trade Thursday with Charlotte. The Blazers sent centers Przybilla and Sean Marks, forward Dante Cunningham and two conditional first-round draft picks to the Bobcats.
The move left the Blazers thin at center while Marcus Camby rehabs from knee surgery. Coach Nate McMillan said the team would experiment in the interim, sliding Aldridge or even Nicolas Batum over to center.
Camby could be back as early as Sunday night's game against Atlanta.
But as a result, the Blazers had just nine available players.
Portland led by as many as eight points early in the game, but Chandler's 3-pointer pulled the Nuggets into a tie at 32 midway through the second quarter.
Denver was never able to pull in front, and Roy's driving layup closed out the first half with the Blazers in front 49-39.
The Nuggets finally took a 61-60 lead in the third quarter on Afflalo's fast-break layup, then extended it on Chandler's layup. Denver went up 76-67 early in the fourth on Al Harrington's driving dunk.
The Blazers were coming off a 106-101 loss in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Portland had won six straight heading into the game against the two-time defending NBA champions.
Notes: Wallace watched the game from the bench, sitting next to injured Blazers center Greg Oden. When he was shown on the video scoreboard during the game to a rousing ovation, Wallace nodded. .. James Collier, 23, of Portland, wearing a Batum jersey, hit a half-court shot during a break in the first half to win a new Toyota. It was the first half-court shot for a car since the 2006-07 season. ... Olympian Dominque Dawes was among those attending the game.
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