(Sports Network) - A pair of Northwest Division heavyweights duel in the Rose Garden Thursday night when the Portland Trail Blazers play host to the reigning division champion Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets and Blazers both finished with 54 wins last season but Denver sewed up the Northwest crown thanks to a superior record against division opponents.

Portland got its season started on a positive note Tuesday when Travis Outlaw came off the bench to pour in 23 points and Greg Oden was a force defensively in the Blazers' 96-87 win over the injury-riddled Houston Rockets.

All-Star Brandon Roy tallied 20 points, Martell Webster 14 and LaMarcus Aldridge 11 for the Trail Blazers. Oden had just two points, but pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked five shots.

"My shot wasn't going in and I didn't take too many shots, so hustle plays (made the difference)," Oden said after the win. "Everybody has to do their part out there and we definitely need guys to make those hustle plays. I think I did that."

The game was a rematch from last year's playoffs in which Houston dispatched Portland in six games in the opening round of the postseason but the Rockets are now minus one of their key cogs in All-Star center Yao Ming, who is out for the entire season due to a fractured bone in his left foot.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, also started strong Wednesday when Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points and pulled down eight rebounds, and rookie Ty Lawson factored big into a dominating fourth quarter for Denver, as the Nuggets opened their season with a 114-105 win over the Utah Jazz.

Chauncey Billups tallied 25 points and Lawson, the 18th overall pick in this year's draft, netted 11 of his 17 points in the last quarter for Denver. Kenyon Martin tallied 16 points and 11 boards.

Nene chipped in with 16 points for Denver, which has made the playoffs six straight years and lost to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the Western Conference finals last year.

"It was a statement game for me just to let the team know it's serious business this season," said Anthony. "What better way to start it off in the first game here at home."

The Nuggets hit 13-of-22 shots in the fourth quarter compared to 7-of-25 for the Jazz.

These two teams split the four-game season series last year with each club holding serve on its home court. Portland has taken four of its last five games with Denver at the Rose Garden and the Blazers finished an impressive 34-7 as the host in 2008-09.





Copyright 2009 The Sports Network
All rights reserved

 Email To Friend