They Finally Beat The Lakers

The Portland Trail Blazers win again. They beat the LA Lakers with 91 to 88. And they lost leading scorer Brandon Roy at halftime with a sore right knee. Portland (49-31) also snapped a five-game road losing streak against the Lakers while moving into a seventh-place tie with San Antonio in the Western Conference standings. Given the Trail Blazers' two-month surge, they probably don't care who they face: They haven't lost back-to-back games since Feb. 19-21. The Trail Blazers host Oklahoma City Monday night at the Rose Garden in a game that will likely decide which of the two teams will get the seventh seed. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 PM.