Pistons nearly make up 20-point deficit but fall short to Trail Blazers, 87-81

Roy, Aldridge help Blazers hold off Pistons 87-81

PORTLAND, Ore. AP) — Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each had 20 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers held off the tired but tenacious Detroit Pistons 87-81 on Wednesday night.

The Blazers led by as many as 20 points in the second half, but the Pistons chipped away and closed to 76-70 on Charlie Villanueva’s jumper with 3 minutes left.

Villanueva hit another jumper to make it 78-75 with 1:29 to go, and after Steve Blake made a bad pass on Portland’s end, Villanueva’s fast-break layup cut it to 78-77.

Blake redeemed himself, however, by hitting a 3-pointer with 25.2 seconds left.

The teams traded free throws before Villanueva’s tip-in made it 83-81 with 10 seconds remaining, but that was as close as Detroit got.

Blake and Andre Miller hit four straight foul shots for the final margin.

Miller finished with 10 points and 11 assists and Blake scored 17 points for the Blazers, home after a 4-1 road trip. Portland has won eight of its last 10 games.

Villanueva had 20 points and Rodney Stuckey added 21 for the Pistons, who were playing the second of a back-to-back.

Portland had won six straight games before a 99-95 loss in overtime at Atlanta on Monday night.

Blazers owner Paul Allen, who is being treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is undergoing chemotherapy, attended the game — his first since his battle with cancer was announced. Looking thinner, Allen gave a thumbs-up to fans when he was shown on the video scoreboard before the game.

Allen was the co-founder of Microsoft. He also owns the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Sounders of the MLS.

His Blazers built on an early lead, going up 38-29 on Roy’s 3-pointer midway through the second quarter.

Will Bynum’s 18-foot jumper narrowed it to 42-38 for the Pistons, but Portland led 48-38 at the break after Rudy Fernandez’s reverse layup.

Portland broke it open in the third quarter. Roy’s leaping one-handed dunk made it 65-46 and Blake’s 3-pointer extended it to 68-48.

Detroit was coming off a 106-93 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The Pistons are hurting without Richard Hamilton, who has a sprained right ankle, and Tayshaun Prince, who has a ruptured disk.

Blazers forward Travis Outlaw had surgery Wednesday to repair a a fractured left foot. He is expected to be out three to five months.

Portland was already without forward Nicolas Batum, who was expected to start this season but injured his shoulder before the opener and required surgery.

NOTES: Ken Griffey Jr. attended the game. Earlier this month, Griffey and the Mariners agreed to another one-year contract that will keep the popular player in Seattle for what could be his final season. Griffey turns 40 on Nov. 21. … Jonas Jerebko fouled out for the Pistons with less than a minute left.