The Portland Trail Blazers, struggling to find ways to score against the San Antonio Spurs, tallied just two points over the first three and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to fall behind by nine. Then, beginning with a driving layup and free throw by rookie Dante Cunningham, the tide turned and the Blazers found a groove.

The two teams traded scores twice, culminating with a dazzling hook shot by Juwan Howard to pull Portland to within six, 83-77, near the period’s halfway mark. Shots that were falling for the Spurs in the first three quarters clanged as the Blazers continued to take momentum away from their veteran opponent. Aldridge lost the ball attempting to set up shop down low, but it was fortuitously tipped out to Andre Miller, who sped to the hoop, twisted around as he felt contact, and heaved the ball over his head, off the backboard and through for a acrobatic layup and a four-point game. The sellout Rose Garden crowd applauded, cheering on Miller and their resilient team. They knew how big this win would be and so did the Blazers. Translation: the Spurs were in trouble.

After future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan rattled in a sweeping hook, Aldridge canned a tough turnaround baseline jumper with Antonio McDyess blanketing him. As Aldridge, with 26 points to his name, trotted upcourt he smirked, a smirk that said ‘you’re toast, San Antonio.’ It was a little early for this kind of attitude from Aldridge, as was a smile later in the contest, but it was the swagger the Blazers had to have. Time and time again Portland has struggled late in games without Brandon Roy, but this moment illustrated how comfortable at least Aldridge was in this situation.

The rest of the team followed suit, playing with confidence. Following a end-of-the-shot-clock clang by Duncan and a rebound by Aldridge, Miller lobbed a pass sixty feet downcourt to a streaking Nicolas Batum, who made a difficult catch look easy and glided in for a layup, whittling the deficit to just two with four minutes remaining. Following a answering layup by Manu Ginobili, who provided a definitive spark off the bench, Spurs head coach Greg Popovich looked into the future and saw what Martell Webster would eventually do. Miller drove into the lane, let the defense converge, and noticing Webster was uncovered in the corner, found the third best three-point shooter in the NBA. As the ball zipped through the air to Webster, Popovich turned around, looked to the heavens as if to say “Here it comes”, then pounded the press table and cursed as the three-pointer swished through the net. This pulled Portland within one, and the next basket gave them the lead.

Aldridge gave the Blazers that lead with a jumper, and then drained another tough shot after a double-team of Duncan resulted in just the Spurs fourth turnover. Portland had momentum on their side and their fans on their feet, but then came sequence that really shifted the game into their favor. Webster dove for a loose ball and tied up Duncan as the two wrestled for possession on the floor. Having injured his calf on the play, he hobbled to the free-throw line for the jump-ball, then leaped with all his might in an effort to win the tip from the seven-foot Duncan. He didn’t, but the Spurs couldn’t capitalize after regaining possession, as guard Tony Parker missed a shot he usually makes. Aldridge snatched the rebound in traffic, cleared to Miller, who drove wildly into the lane but somehow found Batum. Batum then passed to a in-rhythm Webster and he immediately launched and swished a three-pointer that shook the Rose Garden, jubilantly raised the voice of TNT announcer Kevin Harlan, notched the eighth straight Blazers point, and gave his team a four-point lead, 91-87, with 22 seconds to play.

With their play over the remaining 22 seconds, Portland almost gave their fans heart failure. Ginobili drove in for a uncontested, quick dunk that took just three seconds off the clock. The Blazers, up only two with plenty of time left, now had a simple job to do: make free-throws. Miller stepped to the line after George Hill foolishly wasted three seconds before fouling. He missed the first, his third straight miss from the charity stripe. He made the second, though, forcing San Antonio to try draw up a play for a potential game-tying three.

Poppovich drew up a perfect play, but it didn’t pan out. The ball was inbounded to Duncan in the post. He found Hill, who was streaking to the right wing. Hill, with the defense converging, passed to a wide-open Ginobili in the corner. The crowd and the Blazers bench took a deep breath as Ginobili hoisted and rimmed out a makeable shot under the circumstances. Webster skied for the rebound.

Webster was fouled and he hit both free-throws under pressure. After Hill sped down and trimmed a five-point deficit to two with a three, Webster made two more free-throws. A second five-point lead in the span of three seconds and Portland still did nearly everything possible to open the door for the Spurs. Miller made the stupidest of plays, fouling Hill when he should have been nowhere near him. Hill made the first and missed the second on purpose, hoping for a tip-out and a three, but Aldridge snatched his 13th rebound. Surely now the Blazers would put the game away? Nope: Aldridge shanked a pair at the line.

A desperation heave by the Spurs could tie, but their attempt hit high off the backboard, sending confetti from the rafters, Aldridge into a interview session, the crowd into joyous cheer, and Portland to a very impressive, down-to-the-wire comeback win against their Western Conference foe.

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Game Notes:

Aldridge paced Portland with 28 points on 12-22 shooting and 13 rebounds.

Webster made all five three-pointers he took and finished with 21 points on 6-9 shooting.

Howard made all five field goals he took for 10 points. He also grabbed 8 rebounds.

Miller didn’t shoot particularly well, 5-14, but compiled 11 points and 10 assists. Seven of his assists came in the first half, however, and he missed three free-throws down the stretch. And he did commit that boneheaded foul on Hill. Yet, he still was an integral part of their comeback, making most of their field goals possible by driving and kicking out to his teammates on the wings.

Cunningham had 9 points on 4-6 shooting. He also grabbed four rebounds. As usual, he made the hustle plays and hit his improved jumper in the Blazers cause.

Rudy Fernandez ignited Portland in the first half and ended up with 10 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, and one steal.

Batum added 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.

The Blazers had good ball movement throughout, assisting on 30 of their 39 field goals. As a team they shot 51 percent.

Ginobili led the Spurs with 21 points off the bench. DeJuan Blair tallied 11 points off the bench as well.

Parker scored 18 points and dished 6 assists. Duncan had 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. Both were non-factors down the stretch, especially Duncan, who was defended very well by Aldridge and Howard.

Hill finished with 16 points as Parker’s backcourt mate.

Portland scored 19 of the game’s final 29 points to pull out the win.

Boxscore of 96-93 win over Spurs:

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