Blazers welcome day like this

Boston's Todd Day puts in a horrible performance in overtime to
enable Portland to pull out a 114-110 win over the Celtics, who 
have lost five in a row

The Trail Blazers saw it as an ugly game, and the player most in 
need of a makeover was Boston's Todd Day.

Portland prevailed 114-110 Wednesday night after Day missed all 
five of his shots in overtime -- three from the field and then 
two from the free-throw line that might have kept the reeling 
Celtics alive.

Day, recently acquired in a trade with Milwaukee, also committed 
the only turnover in the extra period.

"I feel like I let them down," the 6-foot-6 guard-forward said 
of his win-starved teammates, who watched in horror as he missed 
the overtime foul shots that would have tied the game at 112-112 
with 5.8 seconds left.

Moments later, Arvydas Sabonis, who played better as the game 
went on despite lower back pain that required a postgame checkup, 
sank two free throws for the game's final points.

"We didn't play very well, but we did hang in there," Blazers 
coach P.J. Carlesimo said.

Rod Strickland led Portland (14-17) with 27 points, a season-high 
18 assists and eight rebounds. His intelligent plays out of the 
low post against the smaller Dana Barros helped rescue the 
Blazers from five- and six-point deficits in the last two minutes 
of the fourth quarter.

Sabonis had 24 points, an NBA career high, plus nine rebounds. He 
turned away several Celtics inside threats down the stretch, and 
he had four points and four rebounds in the extra period.

" `Sabas' surprises everybody in the league," Clifford Robinson 
said. "I know they thought he could play, but I don't think they 
knew how well he can play."

Robinson, who scored 23 points, was just three of 11 from three-
point range and six of 20 from the field, but he made all eight 
of his free throws.

"I got a lot of open three-pointers; they just didn't go down 
tonight," Robinson said. "At the free-throw line, I'm just trying 
to relax."

Portland, 2-2 on its five-game trip, can come out ahead by 
beating Milwaukee on Friday.

The Celtics, meanwhile, are looking a lot like the Blazers did 
not long ago. In their fifth straight loss, the Celtics (12-17) 
caved in even though forward Dino Radja fought hard for 24 points 
and 18 rebounds, and forward Rick Fox and Barros had 22 points 
apiece, mostly from the outside.

"We continue to stumble on our toes late in the game," Fox said.
Fox's three-pointer gave Boston its largest lead, 104-98, with 
1:55 left in the fourth quarter.

But Strickland hurt the Celtics with crisp passes that set up a 
slashing Harvey Grant for his first two baskets. The next time, 
Strickland kept the ball and rolled to the hoop for a basket that
tied the game at 104-104 with 32.9 seconds remaining.

"I don't think they knew what to do against us on that play," 
Strickland said. "We normally don't have anyone cut to the basket; 
the guy who makes the entry pass normally stays outside. But 
Harvey came and asked me if I wanted him to stay there or cut, and 
I said, `Just do what you're going to do, and we'll make something 
happen.' "

Day got caught up in this, as well. He was guarding Grant, and as 
soon as he turned to think about helping Barros with Strickland, 
Grant sprinted to the basket.

In the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, Sabonis kept Radja 
from scoring inside. But Strickland missed at the other end, and 
it was on to overtime.

Sabonis put in a rebound to give Portland a 111-108 lead with 1:50 
remaining.

Radja made a short hook over Sabonis, and Boston got the ball back 
on Aaron McKie's missed jumper. But Fox couldn't score underneath 
against Sabonis, who came up with another rebound.

With 9.3 seconds to go, McKie made it 112-110 with the first of 
two free throws. Fox rebounded the missed second shot and called 
time with 8.7 seconds left. Day was fouled driving to the basket, 
but he missed the two critical free throws.

Boston shot only 37.5 percent from the field, with Day going 5 for 
19.

"This was a painful game. Shots weren't falling for both teams," 
Carlesimo said.

NOTES: The Blazers left quickly after the game, hoping that the 
snowstorm that canceled most flights to Boston on Wednesday 
wouldn't keep them from flying overnight to Milwaukee. . . . 
Sabonis declined to answer questions about the game but did say 
his back was hurting him. . . . Strickland goofed when he got a 
technical with 2:48 left in the fourth quarter. He thought the 
referees had called an offensive foul on him as he tried to score 
under the basket. Strickland slammed the ball on the court, 
causing it to bounce high in the air. As it turned out, the foul 
was on Grant for a moving screen. "It was a pretty good call," 
Grant said. . . . Chris Dudley was Portland's top rebounder with 
12, but Boston finished with a 57-54 advantage. . . . Barros made 
six of nine three-pointers, increasing his NBA record to 85 
consecutive games with at least one three-point basket. . . . 
Portland got away with a lot of turnovers again. The Blazers 
committed 21, and Boston had a 24-17 edge in points off turnovers
. . . . The Blazers, who clobbered the Celtics 135-109 in Portland 
on Dec. 27, swept the season series 2-0 and has five straight wins 
against Boston. . . . Portland improved to 5-11 on the road.