PORTLAND, Ore. -- Wesley Matthews has been waiting for a game like this. Matthews had a season-high 30 points, rookie Damian Lillard had a career-high 28 points and eight assists and the Portland Trail Blazers sent the Minnesota Timberwolves to their fourth straight defeat with a 103-95 win Saturday night. J.J. Hickson had 14 points and 13 rebounds, returning from a shoulder injury for Portland, which has won four of its last five games. LaMarcus Aldridge had 13 points and sat for stretches in foul trouble. Matthews made five of the Blazers 11 3s. Matthews has been steady but not spectacular for Portland this season, averaging 17.3 points while leading the Blazers in 3-point shooting at 44 per cent. His previous season high was 22 points. "There havent been too many games where I could really just let go -- it felt really good," Matthews said. Love had 24 points and 13 rebounds in his second game back for Minnesota, which is 1-5 after winning three of its first four this season. Nikola Pekovic had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Luke Ridnour added 14 points for the Wolves. Portland never looked back after going on a 13-0 run that started just before the end of the third quarter. The Blazers led 88-78 at the end of that run and went up 95-84 after Matthews hit a 3-pointer with 6:16 remaining. "Wes Matthews and Lillard . they just couldnt miss. Its as easy as that," Love said. This first matchup of the season between the teams was highly anticipated on several fronts. It was supposed to mark a Portland homecoming for former Blazers star Brandon Roy, who came out of retirement to join the Wolves this season but is out after having knee surgery Monday. Love is still popular in Portland, where he grew up and attended high school. And Minnesota general manager David Kahn, coach Rick Adelman and much of Adelmans staff have strong ties to the city. Kahn signed Portlands Nicolas Batum to an offer sheet in the off-season, forcing the Blazers to match the four-year, $44 million offer to keep the fifth-year Frenchman. Batum finished with nine points and five assists, shooting just 3-of-10 from the field, while fighting flu-like symptoms. Love made his season debut Wednesday in the Wolves 101-94 loss against Denver, coming back early after suffering a broken hand doing pushups Oct. 18. He had a huge game, with 34 points and 14 rebounds against the Nuggets. Portland had a three-game winning streak snapped in a 114-87 loss at Phoenix Wednesday night. The Blazers committed 22 turnovers in what was arguably the teams worst performance of the season. They had just 12 turnovers on Saturday. "I think its important for us that how we play is important," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "Sometimes its not going to be defined by a box score or winning a certain category. Its just playing with a rhythm on the offensive end and with a certain amount of intensity and grit on the defensive end." Minnesota led 41-28 after starting off the second quarter with an 8-0 run and they led 55-50 at the half. But Portland chipped away at the advantage, shooting 61 per cent in the third and pulled ahead 71-69 near the end of the quarter. "We just didnt defend them well enough," Adelman said. "They shot the hell out of the ball, and we didnt finish plays at the basket." Notes: Former NBA star Gary Payton and professional wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper were in attendance. . Minnesota had lost 16 in a row to the Blazers before taking two of three in the series last season. . Love is averaging 30.3 points in his last four games against Portland. . The Blazers wont be back at the Rose Garden for 15 days. Portland plays its next seven games on the road, all against Eastern Conference teams. Coach Outlet .C. Romero from the Cleveland Indians for minor league infielder Carlos Rojas. Coach Factory Outlet .J. Burnett was more concerned about stopping a team streak than extending his own run. [url=http://www.official-coach-shop.com/]http://www.official-coach-shop.com/[/ur... . -- Notre Dame running back Cierre Wood announced Monday he is entering the NFL draft, deciding against returning for a final year of eligibility.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Greg Zipadelli met Danica Patrick just over a week ago, with very little time to prepare for their first test session together. One day into testing at Daytona International Speedway and the two were off and running. "Shes easy," Zipadelli said as Thursdays opening day of practice came to a close. "Shes easy to hang out with, to talk with, she gets along with all the guys. Its just no drama, no drama at all." Patrick is officially a full-time NASCAR driver now with her Daytona 500 debut a mere six weeks away. Shell run the race for new boss Tony Stewart, who has paired her with the crew chief who led Stewart to two of his three NASCAR championships. Stewart and Zipadelli spent 10 seasons together at Joe Gibbs Racing, and were reunited last month when Stewart lured Zipadelli to Stewart-Haas Racing as competition director. As part of his new job, Zipadelli will crew chief Patrick for the time being. Shes running a full Nationwide Series schedule for JR Motorsports, and will run 10 Sprint Cup races for SHR in preparation for a full Cup schedule in 2013. "We were trying to get Zippy hired as a competition director, but it really was a perfect opportunity for us because its hard to get a really good crew chief hired to only run 10 races," Stewart said. "From a company standpoint, it made sense to have him since we had him in house anyway." But, more than anything, Stewart liked that Zipadelli has worked with rookies before. Zipadelli guided Stewart beginning in 1999, when Stewart fled IndyCar for NASCAR. They won three races in Stewarts rookie year, a total of 33 and two titles when Stewart left after 2008 to run his own team. Zipadelli spent the past three years with Joey Logano, who replaced Stewart as a raw 18-year-old with much to learn about the fast-paced Cup Series. "He has been a crew chief for the last 13 straight years," Stewart said. "The last two guys he had both were rookies when they came in. So hes familiar with this and the process of getting a rookie adapted to the car and knowing what to do to make them comfortable." Patrick appreciated Zipadellis patience through their first of three days of testing. Although she has 25 career Nationwide starts -- and four at Daytona, including her 2010 stock-car debut in an ARCA race -- shes yet to compete in a Sprint Cup race and her debut will be the Feb. 26 season-opening Daytona 500. "I feel respected, and I feel like hes been very patient," Patrick said. "Even the little things, getting here this morning and just kind of adjusting a belt a little bit and adjusting a throttle a little bit, he doesnt look at me like Im inexperienced and I should be comfortable right away or it should be right or thhe throttle doesnt feel right or I should get used to it and be used to it.dddddddddddd "He investigates and says No problem, lets get it right, and makes me comfortable." Zipadelli certainly had his patience tested over his decade with Stewart, and it was evident when hed had enough by the way hed snap over the radio during a contentious in-race exchange. That reared a bit with Logano, particularly last season when Logano didnt improve from a promising close to 2010. But hes aware hes got to be easy with Patrick. "I can be patient when I need to be, and this is the time. Theres a need to be patient right now," Zipadelli said. Patrick, though, gave no indication she plans to be patient this season. She cited a popular YouTube video about a "Honey Badger" and its lack of regard for others as the approach she plans to take on the track this season. Patrick raced clean for most of the past two years, but tended not to push back when shoved on the track. "The honey badger, he takes what he wants. And thats how Im going to be this year, like a honey badger," she vowed. Patrick wasnt on Thursday as Stewart-Haas Racing focused only on single-car runs. The team doesnt plan to draft until Friday, so her only excitement on the first day was missing the entrance to pit road at one point during an uneventful first run. "Shes been relatively quiet," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., owner of her Nationwide team, "and thats probably good for her to be able to come in here and work and get everything done she wants to get done and concentrate on her driving and concentrate on her new team and everybody." So feeling like a little kid on the first day of school, Patrick set out to begin the process of ensuring a successful Daytona 500 debut. Because the SHR No. 10 team is new, she doesnt yet have points to guarantee a spot in the 43-car field. But if Stewart gave her his 2011 points, shed be locked in while hed need to qualify based on speed or his champions provisional. Stewart said hes undecided which route hell take. "Ive got the utmost confidence that even in the worst-case scenario, weve got the right driver that can get this car in the race, no problem," he said. "But were working through that and trying to get that finalized and trying to figure out our options to make sure we give her the best opportunity to get in the Daytona 500 and get her all the experience that we can get her." Patrick, who led 13 laps here in Julys Nationwide race, isnt worried. "Obviously its the biggest race of the year, Id really like to run well and I dont just want to be here. I want to run well," she said. "For this one at Daytona, I think theres a real opportunity." ' ' '