Two of the NBA's most talented young teams hook up in the Rose Garden Tuesday when the Atlanta Hawks visit the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Hawks opened a four-game road swing on a losing note in Los Angeles Sunday when Kobe Bryant had a game-high 41 points to go with eight rebounds and five steals, as the Los Angeles Lakers took a 118-110 win over Atlanta.
Joe Johnson had 27 points and nine boards to pace the Hawks, who were dealt their first loss of the season. Jamal Crawford had 17 points off the bench, while Mike Bibby added 15.
"I thought we were sluggish," Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson said after the loss in LA. "We scored enough points, but you win on the defensive side and we weren't very good."
The Hawks will finish their trip with games in Sacramento and Charlotte.
The Blazers, who are opening a three-game homestand tonight, finished a short two-game road trip on a positive note in Oklahoma City on Sunday after Steve Blake recorded 18 points and Brandon Roy scored 16 in Portland's 83-74 victory over the Thunder.
Greg Oden put together a 12-point, 10-rebound effort for the Trail Blazers, who were coming off consecutive losses to Denver and Houston. Travis Outlaw also had 12 points and Martell Webster netted 10 in the win.
"We're still trying to find ourselves," said Portland coach Nate McMillan. "As I told the team, we're not last year's team. The guys are talking about a rhythm. We're playing with a different group.."
The Blazers, who will finish their homestand with bouts against San Antonio and Minnesota, may be without the services of forward LaMarcus Aldridge tonight. Aldridge suffered a bone bruise in his right knee Sunday night against the Thunder and is questionable.
These two teams split the home-and-home series a year ago with each club winning on its home floor. Overall, Portland has taken 13 of its last 15 contests with the Hawks.
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