Trail Blazers 115, Spurs 105
PORTLAND, Ore. -- LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard combined for 49 points as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the San Antonio Spurs 115-105 on Saturday night at the Moda Center.
Lillard scored 25 points and Aldridge added 24 as the Blazers (2-1) won their home opener for the 13th straight season.
Wesley Matthews chipped in 20 points and Nicolas Batum had a triple-double, collecting 11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for the Blazers, who shot 55.6 percent from the field and had six players score in double figures.
Tim Duncan had 24 points and seven rebounds and Tony Parker added 17 points and nine assists for San Antonio (2-1).
Parker scored 10 points and had three assists in the third quarter, leading the Spurs back from an 11-point deficit to 79-74 late in the quarter. But Lillard's 3-point bomb at the buzzer allowed Portland to take an 82-74 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Matthews knocked down back-to-back 3s to lift the Blazers to an 88-76 lead early in the fourth quarter. It was 94-82 when San Antonio climbed back with five straight points to cut the margin to 94-87 with 7:12 left.
Marco Bellinelli's 3-point shot drew the Spurs to within 104-100 with 1:20 remaining.
Lillard sank two gift shots, but Duncan answered with a hook to make it 106-102 with 43 seconds to go.
Matthews scored on a rebound dunk with 21.3 seconds remaining, but Bellinelli sank another trey to cut it to 108-105 with 18.7 seconds left.
Lillard sank another two free throws to make it 110-105 with 17.9 seconds remaining. When Manu Ginobili missed a 3-point attempt, it was over.
Aldridge scored 14 of his points and Lillard came through with 10 of his 12 first-half points late in the second quarter to propel Portland to a 50-39 halftime lead.
Aldridge had 10 points to lead Portland to a 21-19 lead after one quarter. The Blazers were on top 18-11 before the Spurs closed the quarter on an 8-3 run.
Portland held a slim advantage through most of the second quarter. Then Lillard -- who didn't even take a shot in the first quarter -- scored 10 points in a three-minute span, the final a 3-pointer to lift the Blazers to a 46-35 edge.
Duncan scored 10 points in the half for San Antonio but was only 5 for 12 from the field, missing a couple of baseline bank shots and three from the foul line area.
Batum had only two points but contributed six rebounds and six assists for Portland, which mounted its big lead despite 11 turnovers. The Blazers shot 54.1 percent from the field to 39.1 percent for the Spurs, who were outrebounded 21-16 in the half.
NOTES: Duncan, who suffered a chest contusion in the third quarter of San Antonio's opening-night victory over Memphis and missed a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, started for the Spurs. ... The Spurs had lost eight of their last nine visits to Portland dating to 2008. They won 112-109 here early last season, and the Blazers prevailed in the two other meetings, including a 136-106 thumping at San Antonio in March. "We haven't won up there in like two decades," coach Gregg Popovich said. "I always come here thinking, 'We have to go to Portland again.' I love the city -- great people, great restaurants, great interest in the NBA. I just don't like getting beat by (the Blazers) all the time." ... Portland coach Terry Stotts on the Spurs' Parker: "The mantle has been passed to him with the Spurs. He's their best player. He makes them go. He scores, he passes, he runs the show. Tony is a phenomenal player." ... Popovich, on Ginobili's play in the Spurs' two wins: "It's good that he's lasted these first two games. I could last two games."
