New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - So much for the Trail Blazers being sluggish following Fridays triple-overtime victory over the Spurs. There was no hangover for Portland, as LaMarcus Aldridge poured in 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 114-88 wire-to-wire drubbing of the Pelicans on Saturday. Damian Lillard, fresh off his 43-point performance against San Antonio, scored 17 points, and the Blazers led by as many as 34 by shooting 57.1 percent from the field over the first three quarters. I think that was an impressive back-to-back with the win last night with how we won that in triple overtime and then to come out with the energy and focus that we had tonight, from beginning to end, that was a very impressive back- to-back win for us, said Portland coach Terry Stotts. Chris Kaman chipped in with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting for Portland, which rolled to a fifth straight win heading into another tough road matchup against Houston on Monday. New Orleans had won three of four coming in, but the usually productive triumvirate of Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday combined to shoot 8-of-37 (21.6 percent) for a total of 19 points. Austin Rivers netted a team-high 21 points and Ryan Anderson added 16. We have to have a strong mentality to flush this one before tomorrow, because the NBA is pretty cruel in that way, Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. The dismantling started early, as the Blazers scored on five straight possessions and jumped out to a 14-4 lead. The margin reached 19 at one point in the opening frame and grew to 44-23 early in the second on the third of Wesley Matthews three 3-pointers. New Orleans night was summed up by Evans having a routine finger-roll rim out in the closing seconds of the half. The Pelicans trailed 62-44 at the break, and the intermission did not cool the Blazers off. Lillard hit a corner 3 on the first possession of the third quarter and made two more from outside in the opening six minutes. The third pushed the difference to 80-51, and both teams emptied their bench from there. Game Notes Nicolas Batum, who sat out Fridays win over the Spurs, scored 11 points for the Blazers ... The Blazers have won four straight meetings ... Lillard posted a game-high seven assists ... The Pelicans shot 35.3 percent from the field. Marquis Haynes Panthers Jersey .Y. -- Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff had an opportunity to experience an entire range of emotions in his first trip back to Buffalo to face his former team. Jarius Wright Jersey . Johns IceCaps erased an early two-goal deficit to come from behind and defeat the host Portland Pirates 5-4 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. http://www.nflpanthersgearofficial.com/d...-searcy-jersey/. A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court said his girlfriend told police they got into the argument early Thursday at his suburban Minneapolis home. Rashaan Gaulden Panthers Jersey . TSN Hockey Insiders Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie both reported Thursday that there have been ongoing trade discussions between the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings over forward Sam Gagner. Donte Jackson Jersey .FIFA says it is relaxing the rule which forced match officials to leave its international list at the end of the year they turned 45.ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Higher-seeded teams with the lead in a best-of-seven series over the history of the NHL playoffs have had plenty of trouble putting the opponent away. Sometimes the brink of elimination has been what truly gets a team going. Consider the Chicago Blackhawks, though, when their foe is down. An ability to swoop down and delivering the finishing victory has become a clear trait of this team since coach Joel Quenneville took over and stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews arrived. "The bigger the setting, the bigger the stage, they seem to rise to that challenge," Quenneville said. Since 2009, the first post-season appearance for Kane and Toews, the Blackhawks have not lost in any of the seven playoff series theyve been in that were tied after four games. Thats a 13-0 record in Games 5 and 6 of such matchups that were even at two each, including the Stanley Cup finals in 2010 against Philadelphia and 2013 against Boston. Theyll test that perfect mark once more on Tuesday in Game 6 against the Minnesota Wild, who fell behind 3-2 in this Western Conference semifinal series after losing 2-1 in Chicago on Sunday. "To do exactly whatever it takes ... is one of the hardest things in any series, to clinch it," said Blackhawks left wing Bryan Bickell, whos tied for the NHL lead with six goals this year in the playoffs. "But I feel we have the confidence and the poise and the relaxation that we dont get ahead of ourselves and just play shift by shift." During the Kane-Toews era -- which includes left wing Patrick Sharp and core defencemen Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson -- the Blackhawks are 11-2 in games played with a chance to win a series. Theyre 5-1 on the road, with the only losses in those clinching situations against Vancouver, in 2011 in Game 7 of the first round and in 2010 in Game 5 of the second round. They rebounded in 2010 to win Game 6 and advance. The Wild are bound to be one of the toughest outs these Blackhawks have encountered. Theyre 5-0 at Xcel Energy Center since the playoffs began, ouutscoring their opponents 16-5 and allowing an average of 19.dddddddddddd2 shots on goal per game. The Blackhawks were stifled in Games 3 and 4, unable to amount any kind of offensive rhythm. "The building has been electric. The fans have been unbelievable. Im sure theyre having a good time with the late starts," Wild defenceman Ryan Suter said, smiling. "Everything, its been a lot of fun for us. Were driving to the rink and you see the excitement outside the rink, and we just build off that." The Wild won two elimination games in the last round against Colorado and, to factor in franchise history, are 9-5 all time in those situations. Theyre trying to become the first NHL team to force consecutive Game 7s in the same post-season without holding a series lead since the New York Islanders in 1987. "Just get ready for Game 6 here. Thats our Game 7 right now," captain Mikko Koivu said. Quenneville declared injured centre Andrew Shaw out again for Game 6. Wild coach Mike Yeo said left wing Matt Moulson and defenceman Keith Ballard were skating on Monday but declined to speculate on their status. Suter took a hard spill in Game 3 in a tangle with Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa, leaving the game briefly with an apparent injury to his right arm, but he and Yeo have said repeatedly hes fine. Really, at this point in the playoffs, any pain is mostly an afterthought. So, too, is the elimination scenario for the Wild. "I think we like the challenge. We always seem to make things harder than it needs to be. I dont know if thats a good thing to do, but it seems throughout the year thats kind of been the way weve gone about it," Suter said. So the teams will take the ice on Tuesday, with the pressure on each side higher than its been all season. "I think we know what theyre doing. I think they know pretty much what were doing, too," Blackhawks defenceman Johnny Oduya said. "From this point I think its just a matter of will and who wants to win the most and whos fresher and who plays better." White NFL Jerseys Cheap Youth NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Discount Jerseys ' ' '
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