Dein erstes Forum » Bobrovsky, who left with 15:47 to play

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Given an opportunity to clinch a post-season berth, the Trail Blazers made the most if it. LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 18 rebounds and Portland earned a playoff spot for the first time in three seasons with a 100-94 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night. Wesley Matthews added 21 points, Damian Lillard 20 and Nicolas Batum had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Portland (50-28). The Blazers are in fifth place in the Western Conference with four games remaining. "Fifty wins is always a big honour in this league," Aldridge said. "Especially being in the West with so many good teams. Its definitely not something to take for granted. Guys are happy about it and were definitely happy to be locked into the playoffs." Memphis loss to San Antonio earlier in the evening cleared the way for Portland to clinch. It appeared the Trail Blazers might fumble the chance when New Orleans took a 10-point second quarter lead. But the Blazers blew past the Pelicans with a 25-6 third quarter run and never trailed again. Reserve Anthony Morrow scored 17 for New Orleans and Anthony Davis had 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting. New Orleans got within 97-94 with 35.9 seconds left when Morrow nailed a jumper, but Lillard scored on a driving layup and then made one of two free throws. "They made runs - thats what they do," said Morrow, who is averaging 19.4 points in his last seven games. "We know when this team is at home they are going to make runs, they are going to hit shots." Portland had won four in a row before running out of gas Friday and losing 109-93 in Phoenix. Clinching a playoff spot at home was an important step for a team that won just 33 games last season, but the Blazers werent whooping it up in the locker room after the game. "We were happy for about five minutes," Batum said. "But we have four more games and then the playoffs start." The Pelicans, last in the Southwest Division and out of the playoff race, have lost five straight games. Davis started the game despite back spasms that kept him out for long stretches of the past two games. He limited Aldridge to 6-of-16 shooting in the first half. "Hes just trying to do everything he can to help his team and tonight was no different," coach Monty Williams said. "Thats why we love him." Davis had 11 points in the first quarter, but the Pelicans went on a run with their All-Star on the bench in the second, going up 39-29 as reserve big men Al-Farouq Aminu and Alexis Ajinca combined for 10 points in a 14-4 run. Portland trailed 55-48 at the half. The Blazers picked up the pace in the third, as Aldridge regained his shot and Lillard, Matthews and Batum each scored in transition. Portland led 77-67 just before the end of the third. Several players scoffed at suggestions that the Blazers rest some starters with the playoffs in hand, and coach Terry Stotts indicated there were no plans to change focus. "Were not prepping for the playoffs," he said. "We want to keep going in the right direction." NOTES: Portlands last playoff appearance was in 2010-11, when the Blazers lost a first-round matchup to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. ... New Orleans G Eric Gordon missed his ninth straight game with knee tendinitis, and is not with the team after travelling to Los Angeles for a medical examination. . The Pelicans are 12-27 on the road this season. Their last win in Portland was in 2010. MLB Jerseys .J. - Pete Carroll is in support of the NFL looking further into whether medicinal marijuana could beneficial for players. Soccer Jerseys . The two were in the batting cage moments before game time. Bautista was taking final warm up cuts. Pillar was hitting soft toss. The one-time utility player turned All-Star pulled aside the clubs young, fourth outfielder and offered him some advice. https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . And fellow Leaf, Jake Gardiner, hiking in Whistler. Adidas Jerseys . And on Sunday against the Houston Astros they were pleased to see his work finally pay off with his first win since May 24. Cheap Jerseys . The group of Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Sergei Fedorov, & Slava Kozlov were a dominant force for The Wings at one point in the 90s.The Ottawa Senators are looking to find some consistency as they travel to Tampa Bay Thursday night, with the Lightning hoping to break out of their scoring slump of their own. The Senators snapped a two-game slide on Tuesday with a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers. They allowed the first two goals of the game, both on Panther power plays, before getting first-period goals from Joe Corvo and Erik Condra to even things up. Colin Greening had the go-ahead goal with 43 seconds remaining in the second period and Bobby Ryan added a third-period tally. Though Ottawa won for just the third time in its past nine games, it was a win that head coach Paul MacLean is hoping his team can build on. "Were showing signs of being consistent," he said. Craig Anderson made 30 saves and Clarke MacArthur had two assists to give him 10 points over his last eight games. The win improved Anderson to just 7-8-2 with a 3.42 goals against average this season, but he is 6-2-2 with a 1.42 GAA and three shutouts lifetime versus the Lightning. The Bolts won two of three versus the Senators last season -- winning both meetings in Tampa -- but the Sens have still won seven of the last 10 encounters overall. The Lightning have been shut out in back-to-back games and in three of their last five. Two of those have come by 1-0 deccisions, including Tuesdays setback to the Columbus Blue Jackets.dddddddddddd. Tampa Bay failed to score against the Blue Jackets Sergei Bobrovsky, who left with 15:47 to play in the game, or Curtis McElhinney. The duo combined to stop 26 shots. "If youre not frustrated, something is wrong with you right now," said Martin St. Louis, who was robbed by McElhinney on a late chance. The Lightning have lost six of their last eight games overall and five in a row on the road. They are 4-5-1 since star center Steven Stamkos broke his leg. Tampa Bay, which was coming off a 3-0 loss at home to Pittsburgh last Friday, has not scored since Tyler Johnsons empty-net tally with 34 seconds left in a 4-2 win over Philadelphia last Friday. It has not scored against an opposing netminder since Victor Hedmans tally five minutes into the third period versus the Flyers. "If its not off the rush, were done," St. Louis said. "We have to be able to sustain offensive pressure." Ben Bishop made 20 saves versus the Blue Jackets and could face his former club tonight. Bishops only other meeting versus the Senators came on April 9 of last season, six days after he was traded to the Lightning by Ottawa for Cory Conacher and a draft pick. Bishop stopped 31-of-33 shots faced in the win. ' ' '