Portland Trail Blazers Blog – Page 67 – NBA Blog

Game 1: Miller scores 31, Blazers upset Suns 105-100

The AP reports:

Andre Miller scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and tied his career playoff high with 31 points as the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers stole homecourt advantage from Phoenix with a 105-100 victory over the Suns on Sunday night.

Methodical Portland was a tough matchup for the Suns all season and it was no different in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, despite the absence of the Blazers’ scoring leader, Brandon Roy.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and Nicolas Batum 18 for Portland. Jerryd Bayless also had 18 for the Blazers, 10 in the fourth quarter, but missed two free throws with 12.2 seconds left to give Phoenix a shot to tie. Steve Nash’s 3-point try was well short, though, and Miller’s two free throws iced the victory.

Marcus Camby grabbed 17 rebounds for Portland, two shy off his career playoff best.

InsideHoops.com Adds:

For the Suns, Steve Nash had 25 points and nine assists. Amar’e Stoudemire had 18 (but on 19 shots) with eight rebounds. But Jason Richardson (4-of-12) and Grant Hill (2-of-9) struggled, and the Suns got very little from centers Jarron Collins and Channing Frye.

Portland got to the foul line 31 times, Phoenix just 16.

Brandon Roy has right knee surgery

Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy underwent successful arthroscopic surgery today on his right knee to repair a partial tear of the meniscus, it was announced by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

Roy, who will be sidelined for at least 1-2 weeks, will not travel with the team for the first two playoff games at Phoenix.

Dr. Don Roberts performed the knee arthroscopy this morning at Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, WA.

Brandon Roy to have right knee surgery Friday

Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will undergo surgery on Friday to repair a partial meniscus tear in right knee, it was announced today by Trail Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

“This was not an easy decision to make,” said Roy. “But, if I’m going to be out there, I want to be contributing. If we’re fortunate enough to advance in the playoffs, having the surgery now gives me the best opportunity to help our team.”

Dr. Don Roberts will perform the knee arthroscopy on Friday morning at Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, WA. A timetable for Roy’s return will be set following surgery, but he’ll be sidelined for at least the first round series vs. the Phoenix Suns.

“This is a setback, but we’ve been overcoming injuries all season long,” said Pritchard. “This is about looking long-term and doing what’s best for Brandon.”

Roy left at the 5:45 mark of the second quarter of Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Lakers after experiencing pain in his right knee.

The best-of-seven first-round series with the Suns tips off Sunday in Phoenix at 7:30 PM.

J.R. (Isaiah) Rider arrested

The AP reports:

Former NBA player Isaiah Rider has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his fiance and reneging on a $150 cab fare.

Police say the 39-year-old Rider was taken into custody Thursday after an officer spotted him driving erratically in a vehicle with three small children inside.

Neighbors reported seeing Rider argue with his fiance outside their Mesa home Sunday and have a tug-of-war over her purse. Police say Rider then took a cab ride to Phoenix and ran away instead of paying the driver.

Raptors sign Joey Dorsey

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have signed free agent forward-centre Joey Dorsey for the remainder of the season. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Dorsey, 26, was selected 33rd overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2008 NBA Draft. Following the Draft, he was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to the 25th pick, Nicolas Batum. In 18 career games with Houston and Sacramento, the Baltimore native averaged 1.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.3 minutes. As a member of the Kings, he grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds February 5 at Memphis.

Dorsey has spent parts of two seasons with the Houston Rockets’ NBA D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He averaged 14.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 31.6 minutes in 16 games (all starts) this season. During the 2008-09 campaign, Dorsey appeared in seven games, starting five, and averaged 9.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 29.4 minutes.

A two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in his junior and senior seasons, Dorsey averaged 6.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 21.7 minutes in 149 career games at the University of Memphis. He finished his collegiate career as the school’s second all-time rebounder (1,209) and all-time leader in C-USA history.

The Raptors face the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at Air Canada Centre. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. (TSN/FAN 590).g

Qyntel Woods comeback possible

ESPN reports:

Is Qyntel Woods, at 29, playing his way back to the NBA?

The answer: Yes and no.

Talk to NBA personnel folks about Woods and you get a mixed response. Some are quick to say that Woods’ baggage — after pleading guilty to an animal-abuse charge involving dogs in October 2004 that ended his career with the Blazers — outweighs any potential payoff from giving him another shot.

Said one Western Conference general manager: “Samsonite.”

Yet Woods has also won a few admirers around the league for his willingness to go to Poland and keep refining his game after his own unsuccessful stint with Olympiacos and a stop in Italy with Fortitudo Bologna.

“He’s been playing great for Prokom,” one veteran personnel man said. “He’s been solid overseas. I think someone will take a chance on him.”

Said another GM out West: “He’s an NBA talent for sure. And he’s grown by leaps and bounds as a person.”

Tom Penn fired by Trail Blazers

Jason Quick of the Oregonian reports (via blog):

Tom Penn, the right-hand man of general manager Kevin Pritchard, has been fired by the Trail Blazers, The Oregonian has learned. Tuesday’s decision comes nearly 10 months after Penn was promoted to vice president of basketball operations.

It is unknown why Penn was fired, but it is believed to have come from owner Paul Allen and not Pritchard.

Penn came to the Blazers from the Memphis Grizzlies in May of 2007 and served as the team’s assistant general manager until he was promoted on May 18 to vice president.

Brandon Roy scores 41 on Warriors

The AP reports:

Brandon Roy scored 41 points, Andre Miller added 15 points and seven assists and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Golden State Warriors 110-105 on Thursday night.

Rudy Fernandez added 12 points including a pair of pivotal 3-pointers during a late 17-3 run by the Blazers, who snapped a nine-game losing streak at Oracle Arena.

Portland also avoided what would have been a costly defeat as it tries to hold onto the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

Joel Przybilla re-injures himself, needs more surgery after slip in shower

Joel Przybilla re-injures himself after slip in shower

Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla will undergo surgery on his right patella tendon in the next few days.

Przybilla re-ruptured his right patella tendon Saturday morning after slipping in the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wis.

He returned to Portland today to undergo an MRI, which revealed the rupture.

Przybilla originally ruptured the tendon in a Dec. 22 game at Dallas. He underwent season-ending surgery on Dec. 24 and was in Milwaukee rehabilitating the injury.

No timetable is available for his return to the court.

Trail Blazers sign Travis Diener

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent guard Travis Diener, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

“We’re very happy to have Travis on our roster,” said Pritchard. “He is a veteran point guard who will be a good complement to our existing backcourt.”

Diener (6-1, 175) holds career averages of 4.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 15.1 minutes in 174 games (21 starts) during his five NBA seasons with Orlando and Indiana.

The 28-year-old Diener played in four games for Indiana during the 2009-10 season, averaging 0.8 points, 0.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 6.3 minutes. He underwent surgery to repair an injury to his left big toe on Nov. 20.

After playing his first two NBA seasons in Orlando, Diener posted career highs of 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 20.5 minutes in 2007-08, his first of three seasons with Indiana.

A three-time All-Conference USA selection at Marquette University, Diener was selected by the Orlando Magic with the 38th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Diener becomes the 15th player on Portland’s roster and will wear No. 27.