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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
PHOENIX (AP) -- Rasheed Wallace proved that he can get the job
done for Portland whether he's starting or coming off the bench.
|  | | Portland's Scottie Pippen looks to pass between Phoenix's Jason Kidd, right, and Randy Livingston, left. |
Wallace didn't start for the first time in 18 games Sunday night
because coach Mike Dunleavy decided on Brian Grant as the power
forward of choice. But Wallace was there at the end, sinking a
baseline 15-footer with 1.3 seconds left that gave the Blazers a
92-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
"The thing we wanted to do was get the last shot, and I thought
'Sheed did a great job when he shot that shot," Scottie Pippen
said. "It really gave us the opportunity that, if it was a miss,
to go after a second shot."
The Suns couldn't get a shot off in the remaining time.
"We just couldn't get it done in the last three or four
minutes," said Gugliotta, who tied it at 90 on a layup with 16
seconds to play, giving the Blazers one last shot.
After a timeout, Detlef Schrempf got the in-bounds pass to
Pippen, who passed to Wallace on the left side.
"It was nothing tremendous," said Wallace, who finished with
21 points. "It's just shooting, man. It doesn't matter if it's the
end of the game or whatever."
Arvydas Sabonis had a season-high 18 points, 10 rebounds and six
assists and Pippen had 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists
as Portland improved the NBA's best road record to 9-3.
Gugliotta and Cliff Robinson scored 19 points each for Phoenix,
which lost for only the second time in 10 home games.
There were six lead changes in the fourth quarter, the last when
Wallace made two free throws with 36 seconds remaining for an 89-88
lead. He made another foul shot 10 seconds later.
The third quarter was equally wild, with nine lead changes
before the Blazers, who never led in the first half, took a 71-68
lead on a driving layup by Steve Smith in the final two seconds.
Phoenix tied it 19 seconds into the fourth on a 3-pointer by
Robinson, and the teams traded momentum until Wallace took over.
The loss was the second straight for the Suns, who had a
seven-game winning streak snapped at Houston the night before.
"I think we played better tonight than we've played in games
that we've won during the course of the year," Luc Longley said.
"It's good to see, because they're really a barometer for us after
last year."
Longley, who finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, had
three straight baskets in a 55-second span midway through the
second quarter, giving the Suns a 42-27 lead 4:52 into the period.
A dunk by Gugliotta gave Phoenix its biggest lead -- 47-31 -- with
3:39 remaining in the half. The Blazers went on a 7-2 run to come
within nine at the half.
Portland opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run as Pippen
scored six points and the Blazers took a 52-51 lead.
"I was encouraged by our second-half play," Dunleavy said.
"We were the aggressive team that we needed to be. Our defense was
solid, and we were very good at attacking the rim. We controlled
the glass very well in the second half and executed down the
stretch."
Game notes
Small forward Shawn Marion and shooting guard Penny
Hardaway of the Suns did not dress because of injuries. Marion has
a sore knee and was placed on the injured list. Cliff Robinson
started in his place. Rex Chapman replaced Hardaway, who was
day-to-day with a sore foot. ... The Suns activated Toby Bailey
from the injured list to fill Marion's roster spot. Neither team
has reached 100 points in their last five games against each other.
... The Blazers have held the opponent below 100 points in 18 of 19
games. ... The Suns, who led 30-17 after the first quarter, lost
for the first time in eight games when they had the lead after 12
minutes.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Portland Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 98
San Antonio 92
Charlotte 103
Seattle 81
Milwaukee 103
Dallas 97
Denver 80
New York 78
Portland 92
Phoenix 90
LA Lakers 117
Orlando 100
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