Blazers stay perfect at home

McMillan unhappy with effort in win over Kings

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Nov 24, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Brandon Roy reaches for a layup against Sacramento.

SAM FORENCICH / GETTY IMAGES

An NBA team isn’t going to bring its best every night. When that happens, it usually means a loss.

That didn’t happen to the Trail Blazers Monday night at the Rose Garden. They shot a paltry .405 from the field and committed 20 turnovers yet somehow escaped with a 91-90 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

“We know we dodged a bullet tonight,” Coach Nate McMillan said after Portland improved its record to 9-6, including 5-0 at home. “You need some of those through the course of a season.

“We can play much better than that. We have to. Each night, we talk about improving. Toward the end of November, teams will get better, and we have to get better.”

Sacramento (5-11) was going without its best player, Kevin Martin, and a top reserve, Francisco Garcia, both out with injuries. Yet the Kings — coming off a 118-108 defeat to the Lakers Sunday in Los Angeles — still came within a missed left-handed running hook shot by John Salmons at the buzzer from pulling off the upset.

The Kings “played last night and had some guys out, but other guys stepped up and played big for them,” said Portland center Joel Przybilla, who had his second double-double in the last three games with 10 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. “We knew coming in they weren’t going to back down. They’re still an NBA team, and they have NBA players.

“It wasn’t all good for us, but we still came away with a win.”

Just barely. Portland needed Przybilla’s work inside and another clutch performance from Brandon Roy to avoid what would have been a harrowing loss to a Western Conference bottom-dweller. Roy scored nine of his season-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, including a left-handed scoop shot that banked in, capping a 9-0 run and giving the Blazers an 85-84 lead with 3:37 remaining.

“Brandon hit some big shots again,” Przybilla said. “That’s why he’s an all-star. He’s the leader of this team.”

The final moments were scary for the Blazers, who fell behind 61-53 in the third quarter, then used an 18-5 run to go in front 71-66 late in the period.

Sacramento led 84-78 with 5:10 left when Roy converted a three-point play. From there, it was a battle to the end.

Steve Blake sank a pair of free throws to give Portland a 91-88 lead with 40.6 seconds to go. They were the last points the Blazers were to score.

Salmons — who led Sacramento with 20 points — made two from the line with 31.1 seconds left to cut the margin to 91-90. After a timeout, the Blazers couldn’t get the ball to Roy, and Travis Outlaw wound up missing a forced jumper from short range, with the Kings rebounding and calling time with 11.8 seconds remaining.

The visitors got the ball to Salmons, who drove the middle, then missed the off-hand jump hook as the horn sounded.

“We’ll take this win,” Roy said, “but we’re not going to say we played well.”

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