"Its a great opportunity in front of us, and we

PHOENIX - Eric Bledsoe was looking forward to a long night of rest after rescuing his Phoenix Suns in a 118-113 win over the short-handed but dangerous Portland Trail Blazers.The Suns blew a 25-point second-quarter lead and trailed by five with 2:21 left, but were saved by Bledsoes seven points in the last 1:38. Bledsoe pumped in a career high 33 points, with reserve guard Isaiah Thomas adding 27, a season high.I wanted to finish the game strong. My teammates kept on giving me the ball. They gave me confidence and the coach kept on giving me the ball, Bledsoe said.Im going to go home and sleep like a baby, Ill tell you that much, he added.The Blazers (31-12) went up 110-105 with 2:22 to play on a 3-pointer from leading scorer Nicolas Batum, who finished with 27 points. But the Suns went on a 13-3 run to close the game and win their seventh straight at home.Down 25, up five with two minutes to go, you cant lose that game, Batum said.Portland got 22 points each for Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews and 10 rebounds from Batum.The Suns (26-18) have their longest home win streak of the season and longest since eight straight during the 2009-2010 season.The Blazers had a chance to go ahead again with 20 second left, but Lillard missed a baseline jumper and fouled the Suns P.J. Tucker.A missed free throw by Batum also cost the Blazers a chance to tie the game at 114. Portlands last chance to tie was lost when Lillard stepped out of bounds trying to catch a high inbounds pass with 9.8 seconds left.I dont think we should be satisfied with a moral victory, Lillard said. We didnt deserve to win the game because of how it went. You want to win, you expect to win but not enough things went right.The Blazers, missing star forward LaMarcus Aldridge because of a left hand injury and two big men in Robin Lopez and Joel Freeland, overcame their worst defensive first quarter of the season and outscored Phoenix 80-60 from the 5:10 mark of the second quarter. But they came up short.The Suns outscored the Blazers 27-2 over nine minutes between the first and second quarters to take control. Portland went scoreless over the last three minutes of the first and almost three minutes of the second before Will Bartons layup.Gerald Green lobbed to Miles Plumlee for a dunk, and Phoenix led 53-31 at the 6:09 mark of the second. The Blazers trailed by as many as 25 but cut the lead to 14, 66-52, at halftime.The Blazers rallied in the fourth quarter, trimming the Suns lead to 93-86 with 8:57 left after Dorell Wrights conventional three-point play.Phoenixs lead was four points until Thomas scored on a soaring layup and drew a blocking foul on Wright, making the score 99-92 after a free throw. Thomas kept the Blazers at bay with another basket with 5:59 to go, giving the Suns a six-point lead.But the Blazers stormed ahead 105-102 with 4:05 left on the 3-pointer from Batum.The Suns tied a season high for points in a first with 40 and the total was the most the Blazers have surrendered in any opening period this season. Despite losing four of five, the Blazers maintain a comfortable lead in the NBAs Northwest Division.TIP-INSBlazers: Batum eclipsed his season high by 10 points, and his six 3-pointers were also a season best. ... Wright, who started in place of Aldridge, scored a season high 15 points.Suns: Phoenix has won seven straight at home over the Blazers. The Suns are 17-2 against Portland in 19 home games since January of 2005. The Suns are now 4-0 at the halfway point of their longest homestand in club history, eight games. They are home through Jan. 30. ...They have shot 50 per cent or better in four straight games, their longest such streak since February 2010.UP NEXTBlazers: Host Boston Thursday night.Suns: Host Houston Friday night. Chicago Bears Jerseys . -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are disappointed, though not discouraged. Brian Urlacher Jersey . The Bruins forward has been fined $5,000 by the National Hockey League for spearing Red Wings defenceman Danny DeKeyser in the groin. http://www.officialchicagobearspro.com/Mike-singletary-bears-jersey/ .5 million. The 25-year-old Varlamov is thriving under first-year coach and Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, posting a 26-9-5 record with a 2. Dick Butkus Jersey . The 36-year-old said a few months ago he would hang up his boots at the end of the season, but has since changed his mind. "Its a pity the season is ending now, as I am in good physical shape and enjoying myself," Di Natale said. Jim McMahon Jersey . -- Craig Anderson has quite a record against his former team, the Florida Panthers.WASHINGTON -- Dirk Nowitzki is the 13th-leading scorer in NBA history. On Wednesday night, in his words, he was reduced to "an expensive decoy." Nowitzki was held to a season-low nine points, and missed 11 of 14 shots from the field, but the Dallas Mavericks still beat the Washington Wizards 87-78. Monta Ellis scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and Vince Carter had 13 as the Mavericks won despite equaling their season low in points. "It was an ugly game. I think we set the NBA back a couple years today," Nowitzki said. He rolled his left ankle in the games first minute, for "probably the 200th time in my career," Nowitzki said. "It was obvious that I wasnt moving well. I didnt get any elevation on my jumper." The key to the game was Dallas holding Washington scoreless for more than 4 minutes late in the game. The Wizards led 74-70 with 4:58 to play, but the Mavericks scored nine straight points on a 3-pointer by Carter, a hook shoot by Brandan Wright, two free throws by Carter and a jumper by Ellis to give Dallas a 79-74 lead with 2:14 to play. Washington didnt score again until John Wall, who led the Wizards with 22 points, made two free throws with 46 seconds to play. The Mavericks won despite shooting just 38.5 per cent, but they held Washington to 37.5 per cent. "It was a beautiful game," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle laughed. "It was such a competitive game, up and down the stretch, whoever won was going to be the survivor." Trevor Booker had 10 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for Washington. "We wasted a good defensive effort," coach Randy Wittman said. It was Dallas fourth straight win on the road and their eighth straight over the Wizards (14-15), who failed in their attempt to rise above .500 for the first time since Oct. 31, 2009. It was the second time this season Washington failed to get over the .500 mark. "Its a great opportunity in front of us, and we continue to get there and we just lay an egg in the next game," Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. Beal, who shott 4 for 13, was pleased that Washington thwarted Nowitzki.dddddddddddd "Whenever you can hold a great scorer like that down to a minimum, you always love your chances," Beal said. Ellis, who signed with the Mavericks as a free agent last summer, was a career 77 per cent free throw shooter. This season, hes boosted his percentage to 83, and on Wednesday made 9 of 10. "I thought tonight was Monta Ellis best game with us. He had such great command of the game offensively. He was under control, he was finding people," Carlisle said. Ellis hit all six of his free throws in the fourth quarter. "I want to get better, for that opportunity down the stretch to make those free throws, because I know theyre going to put the ball in my hands," Ellis said. In its last game, Dallas escaped with a win at Minnesota on Monday. On Tuesday, the NBA released a statement saying that the Timberwolves Kevin Love should have been awarded two free throws late in a two-point Mavericks win. Shawn Marion should have been assessed a foul, the NBA said. The Mavericks finished the first quarter Wednesday on a 15-5 run to take a 25-20 lead. Washington went on a 9-0 run to take a 36-35 lead with 3:48 to play in the first half. The Wizards led 42-39 at halftime. The Wizards led through nearly the entire third quarter, surrendering the lead briefly on a 9-0 Dallas run, but led 61-59 after three. Wall, who had seven rebounds and five assists, but tied a season high with seven turnovers, left the court with about 3 minutes to play in the first quarter. His left eye was cut and after the game he continued to wear a bandage. Wall said he was elbowed in the eye in a scrum, but wasnt sure who hit him. "I just know there was four of us down there," Wall said. NOTES: Carlisle declined comment on the NBAs statement about Mondays game. ... Washington swingman Glen Rice, who had surgery on his right wrist last month, had the sutures removed from it Tuesday, Wittman said. ... This was the second consecutive year the Mavericks and Wizards played on New Years Day in Washington. 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