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Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - Damian Lillard posted 26 points and nine assists, outdueling fellow star point guard Kyle Lowry and helping the Portland Trail Blazers rally past the Toronto Raptors, 102-97, in overtime. After Terrence Ross opened the extra session with a 3-pointer, Lillard, Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum hit from deep at the other end on consecutive possessions. Patrick Patterson and Lowry countered with layups to make it 96-94, but a clear path foul on Toronto -- moments after a controversial no-call against Portland -- was the difference. First, Matthews got caught in the air and threw the ball up for grabs. Ross picked it off and was fouled by Lillard. The referees convened at the monitors to determine whether or not it was a clear-path foul on Lillard but ultimately ruled it a common foul. After Lowry missed a jumper with 27 seconds left, Greivis Vasquez committed a clear-path foul on Batum. He split two free throws, then Lillard made two to make it 99-94. Joel Freelands dunk following a press break in the final seconds sealed it. LeMarcus Aldridge added 23 points and 13 boards and Matthews scored 19 for Portland, which improved to 15-1 against the Eastern Conference. It was a good win to end the year on, Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. I was very pleased with the way we kept competing. Lowry tallied 25 with seven rebounds and five assists for the Raptors, who still hold a half-game lead over Atlanta for the best record in the East. We said going in that we need to take out the 3s, we allowed them to get going and that was the difference, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. Lou Williams made five free throws in 15 seconds early in the second quarter to break a 25-25 tie and start an 11-0 run for Toronto. Toronto led by at least five until midway through the fourth quarter, when Aldridge followed a Steve Blake 3-pointer with a turnaround jumper to cut the deficit to 77-75. Lowry scored the next six points for the Raptors on a pull-up jumper and four free throws, but Toronto missed six shots in a row after that. Portland took advantage, drawing within one on Lillards hanging layup and tying it at 83 when Aldridge split a pair from the line. Aldridge could have given the hosts a lead, but he missed a sweeping layup and off-balance runner on the same possession. He made up for the misses two minutes later. Aldridge broke an 85-all tie with a silky mid-range jumper at 1:36. That score held until late, when an unlikely hero emerged. Freeland blocked Lowrys layup attempt twice in the final 30 seconds. His swat out of bounds with 10.1 on the clock led to Toronto inbounding from underneath their basket. It was passed in to Amir Johnson, who after failing to get the ball to Lowry, went to work in the post on Freeland and converted a difficult hook shot to tie it. Lillards driving layup fell short at the buzzer. Game Notes Portland has won nine of its last 10 ... The Blazers improved to 10-1 when Matthews scores at least 19 points and 12-2 when they make more than 10 3- pointers as a team ... Portland is 15-2 at home this season ... Toronto shot 4-for-22 from behind the arc. Carl Jenkinson Arsenal Jersey . -- Aaron Rodgers looked fine on the practice field Thursday. Granit Xhaka Jersey . Jesus Navas bookended yet another huge home win for City by scoring after 14 seconds and again in second-half stoppage time, with Sergio Aguero also netting in each half to add to an own goal by Sandro and a brilliant strike by Alvaro Negredo. http://www.footballarsenalstore.com/Wome...enal-Fc-Jersey/. Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. Laurent Koscielny Jersey . -- C.J. Wilson parked his car and laughed while signing autographs for faceless fans who handed bats, balls and cards to the pitcher from the other side of a brick wall. Shkodran Mustafi Arsenal Jersey . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont.EDMONTON - Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish, in a testy, defensive news conference Friday, tossed the boys under the bus and doubled down on head coach Dallas Eakins.The accountability of the players to execute has to improve, said MacTavish.Visually to me were a better hockey team.(But) there isnt any tangible evidence of any of that improvement, and thats whats so difficult for everybody to swallow.MacTavish has been feeling the heat from fans and media with the team at the bottom of the NHL standings (6-15-5) in the throes of an 11-game losing streak.The Oilers have not been in the playoffs since 2006. Since then, fans have endured multiple coaching changes and failed rebuilding plans.MacTavish said the team has not progressed as fast as he expected, but said he wont deviate from his long-term plan to draft and develop talent.As painful as this process is, we feel that its a necessary step to get us to the next level, he said.Asked if the plan is not just behind schedule, but the wrong plan or the right plan executed by the wrong people, MacTavish retored: Is it time to punt out the core of these players at 23 and 24 years old as theyre developing?Ive switched out 14 or 15 players in the 18 months that Ive been on the job, and what I think I have now is a group that is capable of growth.MacTavish said everyone is under scrutiny from the front office to the dressing room, but defended his first hire, second-year coach Dallas Eakins. He suggested Eakins isnt going anywhere.Hes evolving, said MacTavish. (But) weve changed assistant coaches. Weve brought in co-coaches. Weve brought in former head coaches. (Weve had) four coaching changes (since 2009).Those coaches were all delivering the same message and we need a higher level of execution (by the players).Eakins has been criticized for giving some players too much rope, doing too much Xs and Os analysis and not enough yelling. The coach skated the players hard in Fridays practice but insisted it wasnt a punishment for poor performance, rather it was a pre-scheduled conditioning day.The worst day is when my boss and the players boss has to come in here and get pelted with bullets and questions about the team, Eakins said of MacTavishs news conference. That responsibility falls on me, my staff and the players in that room. Its something I take personally and certainly all of the players should be taking it personally.ddddddddddddEakins said his main concern was not whether he might lose his job but bridging the divide between the fans and the team.Were doing everything we can to repair that, he said.MacTavish has been around the Oilers for much of the last, lost decade, as a coach or in another front office capacity, but lashed out when a reporter tried to tie him to it its failings.Dont lop me in to a situation of (previous) power and influence in the management level of this organization, said MacTavish. Ive been on the job for 18 months.MacTavish has been criticized for leaving Eakins with little to work with at centre after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while saddling him with subpar goalies in Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth.MacTavish said its not easy to trade when you have so few tradeable assets.There are four or five (Oilers) players that would bring us significant value, (but if you trade one) we solve one (problem) and we create another.Captain Andrew Ference agreed with MacTavish that the players need to step up.As players, we all know that everybody has a role in whats be going on, he said. All of us have different facets we have to work on and improve on which will collectively make us more successful.But fan anger this year has shifted squarely to the front office given the Oilers have drafted few meaningful players outside the first round in recent years while some Oilers players traded away flourish under other coaches and systems.Fans have also focused their vitriol on owner Daryl Katz, who came of age cheering for MacTavish, Oilers hockey operations president Kevin Lowe, and other players during the teams glory years in the 1980s.Katz is too close to his old buddies and wont pull the trigger to fix the front office, say critics.MacTavish said no one is more upset about the Oilers plight than the man in charge.I would characterize the owner as upset. Hes like a lot of our fans times 10, he said.The Oilers next play the San Jose Sharks at home on Sunday.---The Oilers are closing in on dubious history. Here is a look at record NHL and Oilers streaks:Longest NHL winless streak: 30 games, 1980-81 Winnipeg JetsLongest NHL losing streak: 17 games, 1974–75 Washington Capitals and 1992-93 San Jose SharksLongest Oilers winless streak: 14 games, 1993-94 teamLongest Oilers losing streak: 13 games, 2009-10 ' ' '