The Portland Trailblazers are no longer a forgotten franchise lost in the midst of the Western Conference. Their youth, athleticism and grittiness have pushed them to a playoff berth last season after a five-season drought. In essence, they must be taken seriously by any and every team in the league.With all that said, the Miami Heat stepped into Portland for a late 10:00 PM (Eastern Time) match up versus the Blazers and departed the Rose Garden after midnight with a hard-earned victory. With adversity presented by the home team at various points in the game, Miami fought off Portland's offensive runs and held on to secure their 10th win of the young NBA season.
Three different Heat players recorded 20+ points (Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley and Quentin Richardson), and four were in double digits, en route to the 107-100 finish. Wade posted his first double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 assists, while Beasley dropped a career-high 27 points.
Miami took the lead early in the game and never looked back as the Trail Blazers were unable to tie or take the lead once throughout the entire game. Despite being outrebounded 49 to 34, 21 of which were Blazer offensive rebounds, Miami was careful with their possessions and gave up only nine turnovers.
The Heat begin their west coast trip on a high note and head over to Denver for a Thursday night duel against the Nuggets, followed by a next-day trip to Los Angeles to face the defending NBA Champion Lakers. Sunday will mark the final day of the west coast journey as the Heat visit the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena. A victory in two of those three games would give Miami a solid 12-8 record heading back to South Florida for a six-game homestand.
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