Oden matches career high as Blazers rout Bulls
Oft-injured center scores 24 points, Portland rules paint in victory
 Don Ryan / AP Portland center Greg Oden dunks as Chicago Bulls players Derrick Rose, right, and Luol Deng watch during the Blazers' victory on Monday. |
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PORTLAND, Ore. - Greg Oden is starting to become a force on the offensive end.
Oden tied a career high with 24 points and LaMarcus Aldridge also had 24 to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Chicago Bulls 122-98 on Monday night.
“I’m not saying my game is where it should be, but when I can get good deep post position and overpower people and get good shots up, I definitely want to use my strength,” said Oden, who was the first pick of the 2007 NBA draft.
He missed just one of his eight shots from the field and added 12 rebounds. Portland coach Nate McMillan liked that Oden simply didn’t settle for his favorite offensive move, the jump hook.
“He’s doing a good job of establishing deep position by being patience,” McMillan said.
The Blazers had five players score in double figures. Brandon Roy had 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Andre Miller scored 16 and Rudy Fernandez 13.
Luol Deng scored 25 points and John Salmons added 22 for the Bulls.
Portland’s 122 points was a season high and the Trail Blazers outrebounded the Bulls 47-27. They held the league’s leading rebounder Joakim Noah to just eight boards.
“I definitely was trying to keep Noah off the glass. By doing that, I ended up getting some good put-backs myself,” Oden said.
Portland scored a season-high 66 points during the first half by dominating inside and getting to the free throw line. Four Blazers scored in double figures during the opening half, led by Aldridge’s 17 points.
Chicago made its first nine shots in the third quarter and cut its deficit to 80-75. But the Blazers closed the period on a 10-5 spurt to take a 10-point lead heading into the fourth before blowing the game open.
“We have to find a way to polish the game off and finish,” said Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who scored 14 points. “It’s very hard to rebound when you have someone like 6-foot-6, 6-7 boxing out 7-footers. We have to find a way to get rebounds and run.”
Notes: Chicago plays six consecutive road games during a 14-day span. Monday’s game was the fourth. Portland beat Chicago for the fifth consecutive time in the Rose Garden. ... The Blazers have also won five straight over the Bulls, after sweeping the season series in 2007-08 and 2009-09.
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