Blazers Cool Down L.A.

The Trail Blazers didn't blow it in the fourth quarter this time.

Damon Stoudamire scored eight of his 27 points in the final 3:40 as Portland hung on to beat Los Angeles 109-104 Monday and snap the Lakers' five-game winning streak.

Nearly seven months after Portland's stunning collapse in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on the same court, it was the Lakers who faltered down the stretch.

Shaquille O'Neal missed four consecutive free throws with the Lakers trailing by six in the final three minutes. He finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds.

With the Lakers trailing 107-104, Kobe Bryant was called for an offensive foul his sixth negating his basket with 7.4 seconds left. Stoudamire made both free throws and Robert Horry missed the Lakers' final shot to end the game.

Rasheed Wallace led Portland with 33 points and 13 rebounds.

In June at Staples Center, the Lakers overcame a 13-point deficit when Portland missed 13 consecutive shots in Game 7 and knocked the Trail Blazers out of the playoffs. Los Angeles went on to win the NBA title.

With the game tied at 97, Portland scored six straight points as O'Neal missed four consecutive foul shots. Two of Stoudamire's four points came on free throws after Ron Harper and Lakers assistant Tex Winter were whistled for technical fouls.

Bryant hit a basket, but Arvydas Sabonis answered to keep Portland ahead 105-99. After Bryant was tripped on a foul by Stoudamire, he made one of two free throws. O'Neal swooped in and scored off Bryant's second miss to put the Lakers within three with 47 seconds left.

But Bryant fouled Stoudamire, who hit four of six free throws in the final 44 seconds to put the game away.

The Blazers scored the first seven points of the third quarter, punctuated by a dunk by Scottie Pippen for their first lead of the game, 62-61.

The Lakers' shooting cooled off, but other than a tie, the Blazers couldn't get over the hump and trailed 81-80 going into the final 12 minutes.

The Lakers shot 53 percent in the first half, but only had a six-point lead at the break to show for it.

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