Recap: Portland vs. Sacramento
Sports Network | October 07, 2008
Portland, OR (Sports Network) - More than a year after being selected first overall in the NBA draft, Greg Oden had a smashing debut with the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring 13 points, pulling down five rebounds and blocking a pair of shots in a 110-81 preseason rout of Sacramento.
Oden, who missed the entire 2007-08 season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee, went 5-of-8 from the field and played nearly 20 minutes. He was given a standing ovation by the crowd at the Rose Garden upon exiting the game with 6:36 left in the fourth quarter.
Martell Webster led the way with 15 points, while Brandon Roy tallied 14 for the Blazers, who are coming off their fifth straight season without making the playoffs.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 13 points, while Sergio Rodriguez scored 11 and Ike Diogu 10. Joel Przybilla had 12 rebounds, and 2007 first-round pick Rudy Fernandez had a stellar debut in 20 minutes of court time.
Donte Greene scored 18 and Francisco Garcia tallied 12 for the Kings, who shot a woeful 28.9 percent compared to Portland's 50.6 percent.
The Kings were ahead by 10 points after the first quarter, but the Blazers rallied with a surge in the second to go in front 53-50 at the half. They used a 20-7 run at the end of the half.
Oden's jam started the third quarter and the Blazers eventually stretched that lead to 81-59 later in the period following a Fernandez alley-oop jam off a feed from Rodriguez.
It was a tremendous turnaround, as the Blazers were in front 85-63 going into the fourth, and coasted from there.
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