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PORTLAND, Ore. -- With Portland trailing Utah to start the fourth quarter, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard did what an All-Star is supposed to do. Lillard scored 14 points in the final period and finished with 28 for the short-handed Trail Blazers in a much-needed 102-94 victory over Utah on Friday night. "I definitely feel like theres times I have to assert myself," he said. Lillard grabbed attention last weekend by taking part in a record five All-Star events. Last-seasons Rookie of the Year was a first-time All-Star, earning a spot on the West team by vote of the conferences coaches. The Blazers need Lillard to take over games like he did against the Jazz in the absence of fellow All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, who sat out with a left groin injury. Robin Lopez had 12 points and a career-high 18 rebounds for the Blazers, who avoided a season-high fourth straight loss as they struggle to keep pace in the Western Conference. "When youre going through a tough stretch, its hard to get back on track sometimes," Lillard said. "This win will get us back on track." Enes Kanter matched his career-high with 25 points and added 10 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost their second straight after a three-game winning streak. Utah opened the final quarter with a 73-64 lead, but Portland answered with a 7-0 run to close within 73-71 and went ahead on Lillards 3-pointer with 9:18 left. Energized by regaining the lead, Lillards alley-oop dunk off a dish from Nicolas Batum made it 80-75 with 6:07 left. "Hes always in attack mode," Utahs Trey Burke said of Lillard. Utah kept it close down the stretch, with Richard Jeffersons 3-pointer narrowing the gap to 85-83. Batum answered with a 3-pointer for the Blazers. Kanters jumper got Utah within 94-91 with 1:21 to go, but Mo Williams jumper extended it again for the Blazers, who cruised the rest of the way. Portland outscored the Jazz 38-21 in the final period. "I thought in the fourth quarter we had a nice cushion," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "They just came out right from the beginning of the fourth and got a turnover and made a 3-point shot. We made another mistake and they scored on it, and they ran from there." Portland was playing its second game without Aldridge, who leads the team with 23.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. He is expected to sit out Sunday nights game against Minnesota before he is reevaluated. Dorell Wright started in Aldridges place. The Blazers also were without forward Joel Freeland, who has a right knee sprain, and Meyers Leonard, who sprained his left ankle in practice on Monday. Portlands front court got even thinner when Batum, who has been fighting the flu, retreated to the locker room late in the first half. Will Barton started the second half, but Batum returned late in the third quarter. The Jazz were without forward Derrick Favours, who missed his second straight game because of hip issues. Favours is averaging 12.9 points and nine rebounds a game. Kanter started in his place and led both teams with 15 points at the half. The Blazers led by as many as six points in the first quarter, but the Jazz closed in and went ahead 19-18 on Diante Garretts driving layup. Portland reclaimed a 28-25 lead midway through the second quarter on Bartons fast-break 360-degree dunk. Lillards 3-pointer extended the lead to 43-37. Both teams wrestled for the lead through the third quarter, until the Jazz appeared to make a move, going up 62-57 on Trey Burkes deep 3-pointer. It was Utahs biggest lead of the game to that point. Utah extended the lead to 68-60 on Alec Burks layup. NOTES: Blazers coach Terry Stotts wore a plaid sportcoat and an open-collared shirt in honour of Dr. Jack Ramsays 89th birthday. Ramsay coached the Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title, hence the throwback outfit. "Im not much of a fashionista, but I think he was able to pull it off," Lopez said. ... The Blazers have won the first three meetings against the Jazz for the first time since 1997-98. ... Portland was 17-of-17 from the free-throw line. DETROIT -- Tampa Bay is turning around its season, relying on a cool and calm rookie quarterback and an opportunistic defence. Mike Glennon played almost mistake-free football and Matthew Staffords fourth interception went in and out of Calvin Johnsons hands inside the Buccaneers 5 in the final minute, allowing Tampa Bay to hold on for a 24-21 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Bucs rookie Johnthan Banks made the critical pick toward the end of the game. Tampa Bay (3-8) has won three straight after losing its first eight, joining the 1978 St. Louis Cardinals as the only NFL team to do that. "Wow -- thats history," Bucs rookie tight end Tim Wright said after making a season-high eight receptions for 75 yards. Tampa Bay took advantage of Detroits five turnovers, including Kris Durhams fumble in the fourth period, in a game with six lead changes and no more than a four-point lead for either team. "One of the more gutsy performances Ive seen," Bucs coach Greg Schiano said. The Lions (6-5) have lost two straight for the first time this season. They missed out on a chance to break a first-place tie in the NFC North with Chicago. "As disappointing as this was, it doesnt eliminate us from anything," Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said. "It just raises the urgency level for the next five games." Detroit hosts the Green Bay Packers, who trail the Lions and Bears by a half-game in the division, in its annual Thanksgiving Day game. "We cant let this stay in our system too long," said Nate Burleson, who had seven receptions for 77 yards and a score in his first game since breaking his left arm in a one-car crash two months ago. The Bucs have refused to let losses and off-the-field distractions from the first half of the season linger. They dealt with the benching and release of quarterback Josh Freeman and a MRSA infections outbreak. Tampa Bay had been relying on a running game lately, but couldnt against a defence that is stingy on the ground. Bobby Rainey was held to 35 yards on 15 carries after he had 163 yards rushing and scored three times last week against Atlanta. Glennon, a third-round pick from North Carolina State, also didnt have go-to receiver Vincent Jackson open very often. But he didnt force the ball to Jackson or anyone else. He was 144 of 21 for 247 yards and threw two touchdowns to Tiquan Underwood, whose second score was an 85-yard reception early in the fourth quarter.dddddddddddd Glennon had a season-high 138.4 quarterback rating. "Hes very calm in the huddle, no matter what the situation is in the game," Wright said. Stafford was 26 of 46 for 297 yards with three TDs. He connected with Burleson, Brandon Pettigrew and Joseph Fauria for scores that couldnt overcome his interceptions. "I cant make bad decisions, and I had a couple of those and a couple bad breaks," Stafford said. The last interception was not Staffords fault because Johnson had the ball briefly before Kelcie McCray jarred it loose and Banks caught it out of the air. "He got a good hit on me," Johnson acknowledged. Stafford also was picked off when Pettigrew ducked when a pass came his way and Leonard Johnson returned it 48 yards for a go-ahead score late in the first half. Staffords first interception in Tampa Bay territory caromed off Burleson. The fifth-year QB had no one to blame for floating a pass into the middle of the end zone toward Johnson because safety Keith Tandy easily intercepted it in the third quarter. "The way it came right to me, I guess he didnt see me," Tandy said. Johnson had seven receptions for 115 yards, but he and the Lions didnt take advantage of the Bucs playing the second half without cornerback Darrelle Revis. Reggie Bush had 100 yards of offence for the Lions. Tampa Bay started the game without two key players in the middle of its defence, suspended safety Dashon Goldson and injured middle linebacker Mason Foster, and lost one on the outside during the game. Revis, who did a relatively good job against Johnson, holding him to four receptions for 61 yards in the first half, didnt play after halftime because of a groin injury. "Our guys did a great job against him after I left," Revis said. NOTES: Lions CB Chris Houston left the game with an injured foot after Underwood ran past him on the long TD in the fourth quarter. ... Tampa Bay, which won its first road game, plays next week at Carolina. ... 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