Warriors tear apart Trail Blazers

By Bee News Services

last updated: October 09, 2008 03:58:19 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Kelenna Azubuike scored 18 points, all in the second half, and Brandan Wright finished with 16 points as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 110-95 Wednesday night.

Portland center Greg Oden, the first pick of the 2007 draft, scored 14 points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. LaMarcus Aldridge also scored 14 points for the Blazers while Jerryd Bayless had 13.

Azubuike, who didn't play during the first half, hit 7 of 10 shots during the second half as the Warriors (1-1) rallied from a four-point halftime deficit. Golden State, which trailed 78-77 after three quarters, outscored Portland 33-17 during the fourth quarter to pull away.

Azubuike scored 11 points during the fourth quarter. Wright scored 10 of his 16 during the second half, and tied a team high with five rebounds. Corey Maggette had 15 points for Golden State while Andris Biedrins scored 13.

Portland guard Rudy Fernandez played 36 minutes before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Fernandez hit 5 of 12 shots from the field and led the Blazers with 15 points.

Portland (1-1) was nowhere near as sharp against Golden State as it was during Tuesday's preseason opener, an 110-81 win over Sacramento in which the Blazers had an array of dunks and highlight-reel passes.

Portland committed 25 turnovers and shot just 36.9 percent from the field against the Warriors. Portland took a 53-49 halftime lead during a ragged first half. Oden did most of his damage during the first half, scoring 10 points while grabbing all of his nine rebounds.

TIMBERWOLVES 88, THUNDER 82, at Billings, Mont. -- Rashad McCants scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Rodney Carney and Ryan Gomes hit consecutive 3s to help Minnesota spoil Oklahoma City's debut. The exhibition was the Thunder's first since the team moved from Seattle during the offseason.

TIP-INS -- Wizards center Brendan Haywood will have surgery for a torn ligament in his right wrist, but it was not clear Wednesday how much of the regular season he will miss. Washington did get some good medical news about another starter, though: All-Star forward Antawn Jamison has a bruised right knee and is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. An MRI exam showed no other damage. ... Pacers president Larry Bird has settled a lawsuit brought against a couple he claimed used his name without permission to promote a bed-and-breakfast in his former hometown in southern Indiana. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed because both sides signed a confidentiality agreement, said Lee McNeely, a lawyer representing the 12-acre resort called the "Legend of French Lick." ... Center Lance Allred, the NBA's first legally deaf player, was released by the Cavaliers. He played four minutes in Cleveland's 104-84 exhibition loss to Toronto on Tuesday.

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