Steve Blake Hits Clutch Three-Pointer, Trail Blazers Edge Raptors 98-97

TORONTO, ON (LE) - Steve Blake hit a clutch three-pointer with 8.9 seconds remaining to push the Portland Trail Blazers past the Toronto Raptors 98-97 at the Air Canada Center on Sunday.

Blake finished with 19 points by shooting five-for-eight from three-point range, he also grabbed seven rebounds.

Portland ends a five-game road trip, going an impressive 4-1. The Trail Blazers improve to 8-1 against the Eastern conference this season, and 15-7 overall.

Toronto has now lost four in a row and drops to 8-11 on the season. It was the second game for Raptors head coach Jay Triano after Sam Mitchell was fired on Wednesday.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 13 of his 20 points in the third quarter and had eight rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Brandon Roy added 15 points and dished out seven assists.

Toronto was led by Jermaine O'Neal. O'Neal had season highs in points with 26 and blocked shots with six and appeared to be fully recovered from ankle and knee injuries which caused him to miss three games earlier this season.

Chris Bosh had 19 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Raptors, but he suffered a cut to his forehead going for a rebound in the second quarter. Bosh missed time in the first and second half when blood spilled onto his jersey.

Jose Calderon had 15 points and handed out 13 assists for the Raptors.

Having returned home after a long week on the road where Toronto lost three games by a combined 79-points, the Raptors started out strongly and a three-point play by O'Neal gave them their biggest lead of 16 points at 36-20 early in the second quarter.

Portland responded though and a field goal by Roy capped a 12-2 run by Portland over the last 4:50 to reduce the deficit to two points, 50-48 at halftime.

Portland shot a sizzling seven-for-13 on three-pointers in the first half with Blake and Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez combining to hit six-for-eight.

The Trail Blazers opened the third period on a 12-2 run to lead 60-52, before Calderon hit a three-pointer for the Raptors to reduce the deficit to five.

The 2006 no. 2 overall draft pick Aldridge was particularly impressive in the third quarter. He hit a three-pointer and mixed an array of jumpshots and moves close to the basket that Toronto struggled to defend. The Raptors Andrea Bargnani was selected first overall in that draft, with Roy taken sixth.

After getting into foul trouble early on, Bargnani scored just five points and had just four rebounds.

When Joel Przybilla converted a three-point play with 8:56 to go in the fourth, it gave Portland its biggest lead of the game at 10 points, 88-78, but back-to-back baskets from  O'Neal, including a three-point play and a three-pointer from Calderon over the next two minutes brought Toronto back within two points, 88-86.

Seeing his team losing its momentum, Portland coach Nate McMillan called a timeout.

From the timeout, Roy missed an eight-foot jumpshot and had his next shot blocked by  O'Neal. On the ensuing play Calderon found Jason Kapono in the corner, who connected on a three-pointer to give the Raptors the lead 89-88.

Later, Kapono hit a running jumper in the lane and the Raptors lead was out to five points, 95-90 and it looked like the Raptors were going to hang on.

Then, after Greg Oden hit one of two free-throw attempts, Roy nailed a 13-foot jumpshot to tie the game at 95 with 48.2 seconds to go.

Bosh then went for a baseline drive and was blocked, however he got the rebound and made a 15-foot jumpshot with 27.4 seconds left to give the Raptors the lead again at 97.95.

After Portland called a timeout, Roy missed a lay up and the ball spilled out to Fernandez who dished it to Blake. Blake then shook off Calderon and nailed the game winning three-pointer.

Bosh had an opportunity to win it for Toronto, but his driving lay up hit high up on the backboard and the Trail Blazers scrambled for the loose ball.

Notes...the Blazers have played a league high 15-road games...Triano making his home coaching debut...Toronto has been out-rebounded in eight games in a row.