Live from the Rose Garden, where the red hot Trail Blazers take on Utah’s greatest only team, the Jazz. Yes, Jazz and Utah, two words that totally go together well.

Pregame:
Sorry I can't be more rah-rah about things, but something seems off about this game. On paper, the Blazers seem to be easy favorites, seeing as they have won five in a row, while Utah has dropped their last five games. The Blazers also knocked off the Jazz, in Utah, this past Tuesday. But Utah is a damn good team and they are not going to let a short-handed (no LaMarcus Aldridge, or Martell Webster) Blazers squad take them down twice in the same week. I mean, they might, but they won't go down easy.

Oh wow, celebrity referee in the house. Joe Crawford (look at him torment Ruben Patterson) is here. He looks like Popeye with a whistle.

1st Quarter:
11:03 - Oops, Webster is playing. How do I know? Well, he just drained a three-pointer from the corner. That's how. 3-2 Blazers

9:00 - Deron Williams is fancy with the ball, but he also can turn it over in a big way, like he just did when Steve Blake stole his behind-the-back pass, which lead to a football pass to a wide open Brandon Roy. He dunked it. 7-4 Blazers

5:44 - Carlos Booooozer drops in a fastbreak layup, thanks to a Deron Williams steal, and it's timeout time. 14-12 Blazers

1:13 - The Blazers' bench, which has been the spark for the team, takes over, and Jarrett Jack tumbles his way into a couple free-throws. 24-23 Blazers

2nd Quarter:
11:18 - Outlaw is looking spectacular right now, as he gracefully buries a long-range jumper with a hand in his face. 30-27 Blazers

9:04 - Jerry Crawford isn't the one sticking it to the Blazers, as the red & black get stuck with back-to-back horrible calls (both of which came from another referee's whistle). Damn Mormon stranglehold on NBA officials. 33-32 Blazers

7:49 - James Jones for threeeeeeeeeee. That is 17 of his last 26 from three-point land, and that is an insane percentage. 36-33 Blazers

5:27 - With Utah big man Mehmet Okur (from Turkey!) on the bench with a "strained left trapezius" (Trapezius Christ!), the Jazz need to rely on Paul Millsap. Problem is, Millsap is flirting with foul trouble (as is the entire visiting team) and if they have to sit him, their bench is weak. Weak like a little girl with a broken arm. Weak like a Turkish basketball player with a bad trapezius. 41-35 Blazers

2:50 - While he's only got a whopping four points on the night, Joel Przybilla has been a monster on defense. He's blocked a couple shots (nothing new there) and drawn a few charging fouls (now that's news), especially from Deron Williams, who will no-doubt see the brick wall of Przybilla's (firm) chest in his dreams. Deron, now you know how I feel. 47-45 Blazers

0:17 - Przybilla with a follow-up dunk on a Roy miss, and James Jones and Carlos Boozer exchange some heated words. It's going to be really awkward when Boozer discovers that Jones is his Secret Santa gift giver in the next quarter. Thanks to a strong finish, the Fightin' Mormons of Utah are now leading, 54-53 at the break.

3rd Quarter:
9:44 - A sluggish Blazers squad calls a quick timeout, since the Jazz are running all over them. The score doesn't really show it, but Utah seems motivated, while all Blazers not named "Brandon Roy" are struggling. 60-57 Jazz

8:38 - Roy with a steal and a dunk, then Frye with a swat of Andrei Kirilenko, which was somehow called a foul. No fair. 66-59 Jazz

7:06 - Now would be a good time for a Blazers timeout, and they just called one. Utah is rolling, reeling off the hoops while the Blazers are flat-footed and look uninspired. Plus, it doesn't help that the Jazz are making everything they shoot. Huge lead for Utah, 70-59

5:06 - 8-0 run for the home team. Good to see the Blazers wake up. 70-67 Jazz

4:11 - Przybilla goes down, hard. Jane Goodall, where are you? Protect the Vanilla Gorilla!

0:08 - Jack draws the foul, but the Blazers offense has dried up (just 16 points this quarter). So has Utah's, but they are getting a significant amount of second-chance points, thanks to their offensive rebounding abilities. One more quarter to go, 74-70 Jazz

4th Quarter:
10:42 - Jones is fouled while shooting a three. That's the only way the Jazz are going to stop him. He hits all three. 74-73 Jazz

9:10 - Once again, the Blazers bench pops their collars and gets the job done in an impressive fashion. They take back not just the lead, but the game's momentum as well. 77-74 Blazers

6:40 - Roy is MUGGED at the rim, no call. The fix is in! 77-76 Blazers

5:40 - Outlaw misses a dunk in a grand fashion, thankfully Boozer fouled him on his way, the fifth foul for Utah's best player. One more and he's on his way back to Salt Lake. 80-80 tie.

3:24 - Roy gracefully drives. Roy brutally fouled. Roy stills scores, gets the foul and finishes the three point play. 87-84 Blazers

2:56 - Now it's getting good. Let's recap, shall we? Blazers up by one, 87-86. Boozer and Millsap both have five fouls, so the Red & Black need to get one of them to foul out if they want to eliminate Utah's second chance shots. Roy is closing in on a 30+ point game (he has 27 right now) as well. These last few minutes are shaping up to be pretty great.

1:31 - Good lord, this is getting good. The Blazers are looking sharp, especially Roy, who is having a career night. 91-86 Portland, coming down to the wire.

0:30 - Jones for three and the game...NO! The Jazz still have (a little) life. 93-87 Blazers

0:18 - Six wins in a row. 9-3 at home. Two wins over division rivals Utah in the same week. All of this from a shorthanded team.

The only question left tonight is will there be chalupas, or will the team fall one point shy of the century mark?

No free Mexican food for you. Final score, 99-91 Blazers.