Steve Blake shot a clutch 3-pointer with 8 seconds left as the Portland Trail Blazers spoiled Toronto coach Jay Triano's home debut with a 98-97 victory on Sunday.
Jermaine O'Neal scored a season-high 24 and blocked six shots and Chris Bosh added 19 points, but it wasn't enough to give Triano his first win.
A basket by Brandon Roy pulled the Blazers even at 95-95 with 48 seconds left, but Bosh stepped back to sink a 14-foot jumper with 27 seconds to go. Blake then drained his 3 over Jose Calderon, and Bosh missed his final shot. Blake finished with 19 points. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points for Blazers.
The 50-year-old Triano, a former Canadian national team player and coach, became the NBA's first Canadian head coach on Wednesday when he replaced Sam Mitchell on an interim basis.
At New York, Chris Duhon had 25 points and nine assists, Quentin Richardson scored 23 in Knicks 104-92 victory over Detroit Pistons.
New York blew most of a 29-point lead before holding on to snap a three-game losing streak.
Wilson Chandler and Al Harrington hit key 3-pointers for the Knicks, who dropped the Pistons to 0-5 on Sundays.
Harrington finished with 18 points and Chandler had 17 for the Knicks, who avoided their first four-game skid of the season. David Lee had 12 points and 19 rebounds as all but nine points came from New York's starters.
Tayshaun Prince had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who fell to 7-8 since Allen Iverson's debut with the team. Iverson and Arron Afflalo each finished with 17 points for the Pistons, who are 11-3 on the other days of the week.
(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2008)
