Clubinfos » Montreal. "Weve played good soccer lately; we just hav

CHICAGO -- The Portland Trail Blazers had dropped three straight games and appeared in danger of losing considerable playoff ground in the tough Western Conference before LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the lineup on Thursday. Two games later, the Blazers seemed to have turned things following a pair of comfortable wins, the latest a 91-74 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Is the turnaround as easily explained as the return of an All-Star performer? Well, yeah, the Blazers say. "Other than us getting our best player back, which changes everything, I think our urgency is going up," Damian Lillard said. "After the loss at Orlando (on Tuesday), we realized, All right, its time to turn it around now. We cant wait and we cant have all of these lackadaisical efforts. "Everybodys got on the same page and, during these last two games, weve really defended and done everything together." Mo Williams scored 18 points to lead five Blazers in double figures. Lillard had 16 points, Nicolas Batum and Robin Lopez each had 13, Wesley Matthews had 11 and Thomas Robinson added 10. The Blazers got past the Bulls easily, despite a quiet night from Aldridge, who was playing just his second game after missing two weeks with a back injury. He had five points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes after having 25 points and 16 rebounds in Atlanta. "His presence on the court puts pressure on everyone," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "He does a lot more to help us win than just his field-goal percentage." No one in the Bulls locker room would disagree. "He is a load down there; a great player," Joakim Noah said. "You can tell when he is on the court, whether he scores or not. He changes their team. He is one of the best in the game." Carlos Boozer had 16 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes to lead Chicago. D.J. Augustin had 15, Taj Gibson 13 and Noah added 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Bulls, who had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win on their own, lost both games of the season series and have dropped 11 of 13 overall against Portland, including five of seven at the United Center. With the New York Knicks loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Bulls still managed to wrap up a playoff spot. Before Friday, the Bulls had been 10-3 in their last 13 home games, averaging 96.8 points on 44.5 per cent shooting during that span. But it was apparent early that they wouldnt approach either of those marks in this one. "We were flat," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They had something to do with that." Getting off to fast starts was one reason behind the Bulls recent home success, but they were cold at the start, going 8-of-23 (34.8 per cent) from the field in scoring 16 points in the first quarter. Minus Boozers 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting, the rest of the team managed just six points on 3-of-13 shooting. The Blazers had a 47-36 halftime lead and then took charge at the start of the third quarter, beginning the second half with a dunk by Lopez and a 3-pointer by Batum to make it 52-36. In all, Portland stretched the run to 15-2 for a 62-38 lead. The Bulls ended the third quarter on a mini-spurt -- including a three-point play on a dunk and foul by Gibson -- to trim the deficit to 73-58 entering the fourth quarter. The Bulls got the ball first in the final quarter and had a couple of inside looks on that initial possession, but came up empty. Lillard then essentially dashed any hopes of a huge rally with a 3-pointer at the other end to make it 76-58. The Bulls failed to score 80 points for the 11th time this season and are 0-11 in those games. "Our defence tonight was just an example of everybody being there for each other," Lopez said. "When you know there is someone behind you, it gives you the confidence to be aggressive." NOTES: Bulls G Derrick Rose, out for the season with a torn right meniscus, suffered the injury in the first game against the Blazers on Nov. 22 and had surgery three days later. ... Thibodeau was asked if he was taking part in the Bulls NCAA pool. "I didnt get a chance to participate," the coach said. "I was looking at that Quicken Loans one. I think I would have won that." That was the contest in which Warren Buffett offered $1 billion to anyone who could fill out a perfect bracket. No one made it through the third day without at least one game wrong. ... Portland entered with a 20-18 road record but was 2-7 in last nine. Luis Gonzalez Jersey . He did one better Sunday by holing out a pitching wedge from 142 yards for eagle, capping a remarkable 28 on the back nine to win The Championship at Laguna National. Zack Greinke Jersey .Y. - OK, it is done. http://www.diamondbacksapparelsshop.com/curt-schilling-jersey-c-16/ . Dallas also Monday recalled defenceman Aaron Rome from his conditioning assignment with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and assigned goaltender Jack Campbell to the AHL squad. Custom Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys . In their first meeting for six years, the Frenchmen dropped serve twice in the first set, but Giquel broke Simon two more times in the second. Gicquel moves on to face sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who advanced with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win against wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert, despite the Frenchmans 23 aces. Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys . Reimer told TSNs Mark Masters on Tuesday that he doesnt know if he will be moved leading up to the March 5 trade deadline but added he wasnt interested in discussing it. "Who knows whats going to happen on the horizon here and right now I dont know if I want to talk about it too much.MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact want to turn the page on the first half of their season. After 17 games — the midway point of Montreals third season in Major League Soccer — the Impact are dead last in the standings with a league-worst 3-9-5 record. The team will be looking to start anew when it takes on the Columbus Crew on the road on Saturday. "Its a brand-new season," said an optimistic Hassoun Camara. "We didnt do so well in the first part. We were expecting a lot better. We have to do everything to reverse the trend, and we have the players to do so. "Were technically sound, even more so than many teams in the league. What we need now is to meet those other teams intensity." Montreal is tied with the Chicago Fire for fewest wins on the season (3), and only the San Jose Earthquakes have scored fewer times than the Impact (17). The teams minus-12 goal differential is second worst in MLS behind only the Houston Dynamo. Despite their poor start to the season, the Impact are far from admitting defeat. "That wasnt an easy half of the year for us," said assistant coach Mauro Biello. "There are still a lot of games, and theres a lot of parity in this league. If we can string together a few good games, well be in a good position. We have to work hard, focus on the positive, and go from there." Though theyve picked up just 14 points from 17 games, Frank Klopas men are still only nine points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Playing in a league where streaking teams can quickly climb in the standings, the Impact are hoping a few positive results will finally get the ball rolling. "Were only halfway through the season," said striker Jack McInerney, whos scored six goals in 12 games for Montreal. "Weve played good soccer lately; we just havent gotten the results. There are still plenty of points on the table. Going forward, were going to have to do everything right." The Impact will start the second half of their season at Columbus Crew Stadium facing a side going through a lengthy rough patch of their own. After starting the season with three wins in a row, the Crew (4-7-8) have only won once in their last 16 MLS matches, and are winless in their last seven. Columbus, a club known this season for its successful passing and long spells of possession, is coming off a tough midweek loss against Kansas City. On Wednesday, a stoppage-time goal by Sportings Benny Feilhaber handed the Crew their second loss in a row. With Saturdays opponents on just two days rest, McInerney is calling the game against Columbus a perfect matchup for the Impact. "Theyre struggling also," he said. "Going in there, were really going to have to defend, play on the counter, and see what we can get on the break. Its a winnable game, so we have to go into it looking for the three points." Like the Crew, Montreal wants to move on from a heartbreaking loss against Kansass City.dddddddddddd Last Saturday, a defensive mistake gifted all three points to Sporting when defender Heath Pearce and goalie Troy Perkins got their wires crossed and failed to clear a harmless ball away from the penalty box in the 89th minute. The week before, the Impact conceded a stoppage-time goal to Chivas USA for its first loss since returning from the World Cup break. The Impact had not dropped back-to-back contests since losing its first three to start the season. On Saturday, Montreal will look to take advantage of a depleted Columbus lineup that lost two of its players to injury in the last couple of weeks. Crew forward Jairo Arrieta left a July 12 game against the New York Red Bulls with a left hamstring strain, and has not played since. Hector Jimenez, an offensive-minded midfielder for Columbus, sprained his knee on July 4. Both have been ruled out for the game versus Montreal. Arrietas and Jimenezs absence will make things easier for an Impact backline that has been showing signs of improvement lately, despite consecutive losses. Montreal has conceded just three times in four games, and has recorded four clean sheets in its last seven in all competitions. "Were on the right track," said Biello, whose team is the only one in MLS without a road win this season (0-5-3). "Look at our last few games, the team is playing better. If we can do that on the road, along with the quality we have up front, we can get a result. A few draws and victories on the road will give us a good chance to make the playoffs." That will depend largely on the Impacts offence, which has been stale all season. Montreal has scored more than two goals just once this year — a 3-0 victory against Houston at the end of June. Goals have been especially hard to come by away from home, where the Impact have scored just five times in eight games. McInerney says Montreal has to start getting more players forward. "Weve put in a lot of work defending, because we had some struggles keeping the ball out of the net," said the 21-year-old. "But too many people are sitting back now. We have to get numbers in the box; its the only way were going to create opportunities for the team and create chances." The Impact and Crew will play each other twice more after Saturdays contest — on Aug. 30 in Montreal, and on Sept. 27 in Columbus. Notes: Marco Di Vaio, who has found the back of the net twice in his last three games, has three career tallies versus Columbus. The Italian striker celebrated his 38th birthday on Tuesday. … The Crews last MLS win came on May 24 versus the Chicago Fire. … On Tuesday, defender Adrian Lopez suffered a second ACL tear in his right knee. Lopez, who played just 44 minutes with the Impact since being acquired last July, will be out for the rest of the season. … After missing two games due to a groin injury, Justin Mapp now has two assists in his last three games. Authentic Bills Jerseys Dolphins Stitched Jerseys Cheap Patriots Jerseys Wholesale Jets Jerseys Wholesale Texans Jerseys Cheap Colts Jerseys Jaguars Jerseys Store Authentic Titans Jerseys Authentic Broncos Jerseys Authentic Chiefs Jerseys Cheap Raiders Jerseys Chargers Jerseys Store Cheap Ravens Jerseys Wholesale Bengals Jerseys Cheap Browns Jerseys Steelers Jerseys Store Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys Wholesale Giants Jerseys Authentic Eagles Jerseys Cheap Redskins Jerseys Authentic Falcons Jerseys Panthers Jerseys Store Wholesale Saints Jerseys Authentic Buccaneers Jerseys Wholesale Cardinals Jerseys Cheap 49ers Jerseys Seahawks Jerseys Store Wholesale Rams Jerseys Wholesale Bears Jerseys Authentic Lions Jerseys Cheap Packers Jerseys Vikings Jerseys Store ' ' '