Portland wins third road game

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- When Brad Miller stepped behind the

3-point line and hit a wide-open shot to force overtime, the

Portland Trail Blazers had every excuse to give up on another road

game.

"I thought we were cursed," guard Jeff McInnis said.

Perhaps that curse finally was broke in a 109-104 victory over

the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

Derek Anderson scored all 12 of the Blazers' points in overtime,

finishing with a season-high 29 as Portland somehow bounced back

from the Kings' 13-4 rally in the final 46.9 seconds of regulation.

After Miller tied it with 2.7 seconds left, Anderson held the

Blazers together in overtime for their third road win in 19 games.

"I've been in close games, but I've never been through that,"

Anderson said. "I turned it over, we missed free throws, they get

three-point foul shots. ... But the guys just stayed the course. We

kept fighting and kept fighting. It just goes to show you what you

can do when you just stay together mentally at the end of a game."

This game will go down as one of the most surprising results of

the NBA season, the team with the league's worst road record

beating the team with the best home record.

Rasheed Wallace had 26 points and a season-high 15 rebounds for

Portland, which took the lead for good in OT on Anderson's early

3-pointer and hung on with his free throws and jumpers.

Two days after a loss at Phoenix that made coach Maurice Cheeks

cry, the Blazers shook off trade rumors, road woes and team

discontent.

"I don't know how to explain that one," Cheeks said. "It was

a heck of a game for us for the first 47 minutes, and then they

made a miraculous comeback. ... But I give our guys a lot of

credit. We've been in that situation before.

"We had a couple of games won, and we kind of dropped our

heads. This particular game, we did not. I would not let them drop

their heads this time. We came out and made the plays."

Portland held Sacramento to its worst shooting game of the

season -- 32.9 percent -- while beating the Kings in overtime for the

second time this season. The Blazers also snapped a five-game

losing streak and ended the Kings' five-game winning streak.

Peja Stojakovic scored 34 points despite missing eight straight

shots at one point for the Kings, who fell to 21-3 at Arco Arena.

Mike Bibby scored just 10 points, missing his final seven shots in

the Kings' final home game before a six-game road trip.

"Our energy wasn't there tonight," Stojakovic said. "Most of

the problems were on the defensive end, but we were still in a spot

where we could have won the game. I had a lot of good looks and

open 3s, but they just weren't going down."

Wallace fouled out early in overtime -- as did Miller, who had 14

points and eight rebounds, and Bobby Jackson, who had season-highs

of 29 points and 10 rebounds.

"We didn't do anything the way we were supposed to," Jackson

said. "We were lucky to have a chance to win after the way we

played for the first three quarters or so, and then we couldn't get

it done. Hopefully we'll remember how this one feels."

Well before the exciting finish, Portland repeatedly exposed the

defensive weaknesses that could be the Kings' biggest obstacle to a

title run. Sacramento couldn't keep up with the Blazers' fast

break, while Wallace and Zach Randolph outrebounded and overpowered

the Kings' big-man tandem of Vlade Divac and Miller.

Randolph had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers, who

joined Minnesota and Dallas as the only opponents to win in

Sacramento this season. The Timberwolves also went to overtime for

their victory.

The Kings trailed 93-84 with 50 seconds left in regulation, but

Stojakovic scored six quick points. After a lengthy exchange of

free throws, the Blazers inexplicably left Miller unguarded at the

top of the arc.

Sacramento had all the momentum, particularly after Wallace

fouled out -- but Anderson went 4-for-5 and made three free throws

in overtime while the Kings missed the few open shots they got.

Game notes
Anderson missed 29 of the Blazers' first 37 games with a

bulging disc in his back, and he has participated in just one

practice since returning. ... The Kings had just 19 assists -- one

better than their season-low in their home loss to Minnesota in

December. ... Wallace got a technical foul after his

disqualification. ... McInnis was out of the starting lineup again,

but he played 26 minutes and scored nine points after being benched

last Sunday. McInnis reportedly was unhappy with his playing time,

and Cheeks didn't like his body language.