Blazer streak reaches lucky 13

Rally sinks Cheeks' Sixers

By Kerry Eggers

LocalNewsDaily.com, Dec 30, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (3 Reader comments)

Nate McMillan has played and coached in the NBA for more than two decades, but he has never before experienced a run like his Trail Blazers are on.

“It’s difficult to do, to go on this type of streak,” McMillan said after Portland earned its 13th straight victory with a 97-72 rout of Philadelphia Sunday. “Those guys are playing. They’re playing together, the effort is there. Everybody is coming in ready to play, and different guys are contributing every night.”

The Trail Blazers (18-12) can put an exclamation mark on an unforgettable December Monday night when they visit Salt Lake City for a New Year’s Eve date with the Utah Jazz, a team they have already beaten twice this month.

The Blazers will have to do it without their coach, who will be in Raleigh, N.C., to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law. Assistant coach Dean Demopolous will run the team against Utah. McMillan will meet up with the Blazers in Minneapolis for Portland’s Wednesday game against Minnesota.

“Coach Dean is going to come in and coach the way he coaches, and we just have to play our game and we’ll be fine,” said guard Brandon Roy, who put up his typical numbers Sunday with a team-high 22 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Fans throughout the country will look at Sunday’s score and think easy win, but this one was anything but. Portland outscored Philadelphia by an almost inconceivable 35-9 count in the fourth quarter to win going away after trailing for most of three periods. The nine points equalled a franchise record for fewest points by an opponent in the final quarter.

Philadelphia (13-17) led the sluggish Blazers 45-36 at halftime. It appeared as if Portland might get swept by the 76ers, who had rallied from a 25-point first-half lead to beat the Blazers 92-88 in Philadelphia in Nov. 16.

“We were a little flat,” Roy said. “At halftime, coach (McMillan) challenged us to step up. He said, ‘This is a team that took your confidence last time. We allowed them to do it again in the first half today.’ We all said, ‘It’s not going to happen again.’ “

Philadelphia was still in front 63-59 late in the third quarter when the wheels came off. Over the next 7:51, the Sixers missed 10 straight shots, committed five turnovers and were outscored 21-0. By the time the smoke cleared, Portland’s lead was 80-63.

McMillan credited defense with the surge.

“The first half, we were playing the game cute,” he said. “(The 76ers) were the aggressors, attacking the basket. We were playing their tempo. We were walking the ball down the floor and playing a halfcourt game.

“It was a challenge at halftime to play some defense, and we did. The defense in the second half was the difference in the game. It gave us some easy opportunities. We’ve shown in this streak that on nights when we’re not shooting well, if we play defense, it gives us a chance to win.”

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