PORTLAND, Ore. – LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points and 14 rebounds for his seventh double-double this season and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the slumping New York Knicks 102-91 on Monday night for their 11th straight victory.
Nicolas Batum had 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Blazers, who are riding their longest winning streak since they won 13 straight in December 2007.
The Knicks were headed the opposite direction with six straight losses. Carmelo Anthony had 34 points and 15 rebounds.
New York trailed by as many as 22 points put pulled to 81-74 on Andrea Bargnani’s 3-pointer early in the final quarter. Batum responded with a dunk and Wesley Matthews added a 3-pointer to extend the lead again.
The Knicks got to 98-91 after Anthony’s jumper and a free throw with 1:47 to go. But Damian Lillard had consecutive jumpers for Portland and that was as close as the Knicks would come. Lillard finished with 23 points.
The Blazers (13-2) were without guard Mo Williams, who was serving a one-game suspension without pay for his role in a scuffle during Saturday night’s 113-101 victory at Golden State.
The brawl was touched off by Andrew Bogut’s elbow to Joel Freeland’s jaw. Williams, Matthews and Warriors reserve Draymond Green were ejected from the game.
The league on Monday fined Aldridge $45,000, while Matthews and Green were both fined $20,000.
Bogut was also suspended without pay for a game and will sit out Golden State’s game against New Orleans on Tuesday.
On the same day that the discipline was handed down by the NBA, Aldridge was named the Western Conference player of the week.
Aldridge averaged 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, two steals and 1.75 blocked shots in wins last week against Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Chicago and Golden State. He had had 30 points and 21 rebounds against the Warriors.
The Knicks (3-10) were without starting guard Raymond Felton, a former Blazer, for a fourth game because of a sore lower back and left hip. And center Tyson Chandler remains out of New York’s lineup with a broken leg.
The Blazers took off on a 12-0 run to take a 22-12 lead with just under five minutes left in the first quarter, capped by Matthews’ layup. Nicolas Batum hit a 3-pointer to end the quarter and give the Blazers a 34-18 lead.
Matthews hit a 3-pointer to give the Blazers a 44-22 lead midway through the second quarter after a 17-4 run, and Portland led 56-39 at the half.
Amare Stoudemire’s layup with four minutes left in the third quarter pulled to Knicks to 71-61. But the Blazers responded and Aldridge’s rebound 3-pointer that extended the lead to 79-63.
New York was coming off a 98-89 loss at Washington on Saturday.
NOTES: Portland has won 10 of their last 12 against the Knicks in Portland. The Blazers swept the season series with New York last season. … It was Portland coach Terry Stotts’ birthday. … The Blazers have scored at least 90 points in each of their first 15 games for the first time since 1993-94.
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