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Aldridge, Blazers outlast Rockets

Rocketss’ James Harden, right, goes to the basket as Trail Blazers' Wesley Matthews defends in Thursday night’s game. (Associated Press)
From Staff And Wire Reports
Rocketss’ James Harden, right, goes to the basket as Trail Blazers' Wesley Matthews defends in Thursday night’s game. (Associated Press)

NBA: LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points and a career-high 25 rebounds, prompting Portland fans to chant “MVP! MVP!” during the Trail Blazers’ 111-104 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

Robin Lopez added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Blazers, who sit atop the Western Conference standings at 19-4.

Dwight Howard had 32 points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets, who beat the Blazers 116-101 on Nov. 5. That was one of just two losses at home this season for Portland.

The Trail Blazers led by 10 early in the fourth quarter, but Chandler Parsons hit a 3-pointer to narrow it to 93-88 with 7:07 left. Houston closed to 97-95 after James Harden made a layup and a free throw with 4:45 to go.

• Nets sink Clippers: Andray Blatche and Joe Johnson each scored 21 points in the Brooklyn Nets’ 102-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, making Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett winners in their first matchup with their former coach Doc Rivers.

Brook Lopez had 16 points and Deron Williams 15 for the Nets, who won their season-high third straight. Pierce scored 10 points off the bench in his second game back from a broken hand.

Chris Paul scored 20 points but had just two assists as the Clippers lost for the first time in nine games this season when he reaches 20. Pierce and Garnett went 2-0 in a reunion tour of ex-Celtics this week. They helped the Nets beat Boston here Tuesday.

• James leads All-Star voting: LeBron James is the early vote-getter for the NBA All-Star game, edging Kevin Durant.

The Miami Heat star has 609,336 votes, while the Oklahoma City’s Durant trails by about 2,000 votes in the first returns announced by the league.

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (501,215) and the Clippers’ Chris Paul (393,313) pace the Western Conference backcourt players. The Heat’s Dwyane Wade (396,279) is the East’s top vote-getter in the backcourt, followed by the Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving (365,712). Paul George of the Indiana Pacers (489,335) and the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (424,211) are next in the Eastern Conference.

The Rockets’ Dwight Howard (295,120) and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin (292,925) lead the West frontcourt. The All-Star game will be held in New Orleans Arena on Feb. 16.

• Felton out: The New York Knicks say point guard Raymond Felton is expected to miss two to three weeks with a strained left hamstring. Iman Shumpert, the other starting guard, is listed as day-to-day with a bruised left knee.

• Blake sidelined: Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Blake will be out at least six weeks with a torn ligament in his right elbow. Blake’s injury was announced Thursday by the Lakers, whose three point guards are all injured.

Columbus skates past Rangers

NHL: Matt Calvert, Artem Anisimov and David Savard scored in the first 11:10, and the Blue Jackets beat the host Rangers 4-2, sending New York to its fourth straight loss.

• Flyers dump Canadiens: Michael Raffl and Claude Giroux scored goals, Steve Mason made 20 saves, and Philadelphia edged visiting Montreal 2-1.

• Senators repel Sabres: Craig Anderson stopped 40 shots and Bobby Ryan and Zack Smith scored in Ottawa’s 2-1 home win over Buffalo.

• Lightning zap Red Wings: Martin St. Louis scored in the sixth round of the shootout, and Tampa Bay beat Detroit 2-1 in Tampa. Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning in regulation. Kyle Quincey had the Red Wings’ only goal of the night.

• Blues rout Leafs: David Backes scored twice and Jaden Schwartz added a goal and two assists to lead host St. Louis over Toronto 6-3.

• Predators defeat Stars: David Legwand had a goal and an assist to lead Nashville past visiting Dallas 3-1. Patric Hornqvist and Paul Gaustad also scored for Nashville, which has won two straight.

• Avs down Jets: Matt Duchene and P.A. Parenteau scored in the shootout, and Colorado stopped a two-game losing skid, winning at Winnipeg 4-3. Duchene also scored twice and added an assist in regulation.

• Coyotes ravage Islanders: Rob Klinkhammer had two goals and an assist, Mikkel Boedker scored two of Phoenix’s four second-period goals, and the Coyotes beat the road-weary New York Islanders 6-3.

• Flames survive Hurricanes: Chris Butler scored at 4:56 of overtime to give the Calgary Flames a 2-1 victory over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. Brian McGrattan also scored for Calgary and Paul Byron had two assists, hours after the struggling Flames fired general manager Jay Feaster and assistant John Weisbrod.

• Bruins belt Oilers: Jarome Iginla scored a pair of goals, and Eastern Conference-leading Boston held on to defeat West cellar-dwelling Edmonton 4-2 at Edmonton. Dennis Seidenberg and Brad Marchand also had goals for the Bruins, who have won four in a row and eight of 10. Backup goalie Chad Johnson made 39 saves.

• Sharks bite Wild: Joe Pavelski scored a pair of power-play goals and Tomas Hertl added another as San Jose got by visiting Minnesota 3-1. Antii Niemi made 29 saves for the Sharks.