Blazers win ugly

Trail Blazers fans let out a collective sigh of relief on Monday night, as Portland blew a 19-point lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center but held on to win in overtime.

Portland started off their six-game road trip with a much-needed win against their division rivals. Though it doesn’t seem likely that the Timberwolves will be making a push for the playoffs this year, the win was a crucial one for the Blazers, who have not had much success away from the Rose Garden Arena this year. With the all-star break approaching, the team could use a little momentum at the midway point of the season.

Portland managed to come out of Minneapolis with the victory Monday night, but the team did everything they could to give it away. The Blazers committed a season-high 28 turnovers, the most by a Blazers team since 1989. The sloppy play culminated in a 40-point fourth quarter for the Timberwolves, allowing the home team to fight their way back into the game. Down the stretch, Minnesota had multiple chances to tie but failed to convert. Former Blazer Dante Cunningham’s game-winning attempt at the buzzer missed the mark, sending the game into overtime.

Before that disastrous fourth, Portland managed three quarters of excellent basketball. LaMarcus Aldridge had a huge game, finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, and Wesley Matthews, playing on an injured ankle, contributed 22 points and five assists.

Minnesota has dealt with injuries all season, with star forward Kevin Love missing large amounts of game time and point guard Ricky Rubio slowly recovering from last year’s season-ending injury. Even without those two key players in the lineup consistently, the Wolves still looked like they had a chance at making the playoffs early in the season, before Love went down for the second time with a hand injury. Since then, Minnesota has gradually dropped in the standings, and they are currently the only Northwest Division team not in contention for a postseason spot.

The Blazers now move on to Dallas to face a Mavericks squad that Portland beat last week in a game that came down to the last shot. If Portland wants to take that next step toward the playoffs, the next few games will be critical.