Portland Trail Blazers Team Report - November 8

(Basketball News) - The Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Toronto Raptors, 101-97, on Sunday at Air Canada Centre.

Zach Randolph arrived fashionably late in Toronto, but it didn’t stop him from pouring in a game-high 33 points along with 15 rebounds in Portland’s first loss of the season. Randolph was fined and forced to pay his own way for missing the team flight Saturday to Toronto because he overslept.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim chipped in 16 points for the Blazers, who were looking to open the season with three straight wins for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign. Damon Stoudamire had 13 points and 10 boards.

With the score deadlocked at 95, Toronto head coach Sam Mitchell did not call timeout and put the ball in his star’s hands. Vince Carter, who requested a trade in the offseason, used a crossover dribble break down on Nick Van Exel before stepping back for the three that hit nothing but the bottom of the net.

In search of a game-tying three, the ball was inbounded to Derek Anderson, who was immediately fouled. Anderson hit both free throws to get the Blazers within a point, but Carter hit his two at the other end to virtually seal the win.

Randolph has averaged 20 points and 13 rebounds in Portland’s first three games of the season.

The Blazers are off until Tuesday when they visit the New Jersey Nets. Last season, Portland swept the two meetings between the squads.