This isn’t a case of throwing up a game with the best combined team winning percentages and hoping it sticks. There are some interesting things going on with both squads that are worth looking at.

Greg Oden came alive against the Bucks on Monday, staying active and aware off the ball on both ends, and even his teammates went on the record after the win in commenting about his improved mood. Athletes usually won’t tell you their locker room is burning even if the stall nameplates are melting off the wall, so for Brandon Roy to mention GO’s “attitude” … that’s pretty significant.

Against the Cavs, who are without Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a couple of days removed from watching the Lakers traipse all over their diminished front line, Oden could go off. But it’s up to him. It’s up to that attitude, and not hitting the pine in the first quarter with two quick fouls.

Meanwhile, the Cavs need LeBron James to start scoring big, right flippin’ now. His per game scoring numbers have actually gone down this season, and with Big Z and Delonte West out, James needs to play well over 40 minutes, get to the line, and shoot the high percentage.

11 games tonight (though none are on ESPN, oddly), so get crackin’ in the comments below.

Cleveland Cavaliers: 31-8, 89.2 possessions per game (25^th), 112.4 points scored per 100 possessions (3^rd), 99.9 points allowed per 100 possessions (2^nd).

Portland Trail Blazers: 25-16, 86.0 possessions per game (30^th), 112.8 points scored per 100 possessions (2^nd), 109.4 points allowed per 100 possessions (23^rd).

Greg Oden challenged himself.

Weary of play even he perceived as inconsistent, the Trail Blazers’ 7-foot center made a conscious decision to break out.

The result was Monday night, when he scored a career-high 24 points and had 15 rebounds in Portland’s victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I just wanted to start stepping up my game,” he said. “Being inconsistent, I’ve been saying that all year. It’s time to change that.”

Oden didn’t just become more confident and aggressive, he seemed to snap out of a funk that had largely clouded his rookie season so far. He high-fived fans after the game, then smiled and joked with reporters gathered around his locker.

“It feels good,” he said. “I convinced myself that when I’m out there I play good, and when I’m not, I don’t. This was one of those times it showed.”

Oden was the top pick in the 2007 NBA draft. His rookie year was delayed when he had microfracture surgery on his knee, a blow to Portland fans who saw him as the future of the franchise.

Despite his absence on the court last season, the big man still had a big profile with the Blazers. He became known for his toothy grin on the bench, an affable manner and even his humorous blog posts.

This season, however, the happy-go-lucky Oden vanished. He injured his foot in the Blazers’ opener and missed six games. When he did come back, his play was disjointed, and at times he seemed sullen. Smiles and jokes were rare.

Although Oden was going though typical first-year growing pains, there was tremendous pressure from fans and the media. Even rapper Lil’ Wayne proclaimed Oden a bust in a commentary for ESPN.com.

The Trail Blazers, for their part, stood steadfast in their intention to let Oden progress at his own pace.

“I think I put just as much pressure as anybody else would on a job they love to do, and wanted to do good at it,” he said.

His numbers are not bad for a rookie center. He is averaging 8.3 points, seven rebounds and 1.09 blocked shots. But he has struggled with fouls, as well as maintaining his energy level.

In Portland’s 102-85 victory over the Bucks, Oden had just two fouls.

The Bucks were without top rebounder Andrew Bogut, who missed his third straight game because of back spasms. Bogut is averaging 10.4 boards a game.

Bogut’s absence helped Oden, and the Bucks were forced to go with a smaller lineup when Dan Gadzuric got into foul trouble.

It was Oden’s team-high 12th double-double.

“It’s hard because the season’s so long and you’re going to have ups and downs, especially as a rookie,” Blazers guard Brandon Roy said. “But I think the good thing about it is that he’s definitely staying involved with trying to loosen up. It’s not like he’s going to happen to wake up one morning and be totally loose. He’s going to have to continue to work on it.”

Now the question is whether Oden can keep it up. The Trail Blazers host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

“I’m not going to say I’m all the way disappointed with myself or down on myself,” he said, “I’d just say I need to step up my game.”

Greg Oden had just one word to describe how he felt after arguably his best game of the season.

“Hungry,” he said, showing off his goofy side Monday night after he scored a career-high 24 points and added 15 rebounds in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 102-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

It was Oden’s team-high 12th double-double of the season. The 7-foot center, the top pick in the 2007 draft, is playing as a rookie after missing all of last season because of microfracture surgery on his knee.

Oden’s season got off to a bumpy start because of a foot injury in Portland’s opener. Later, rookie growing pains clearly got inside his head and he turned serious, a departure from the jokester who named his puppy Charles Barkley McLovin’ and sang karaoke — badly — to the delight of YouTube viewers.

But on Monday night, the grim expression he had recently worn vanished. He nodded in acknowledgement when he left the game and was rewarded with a standing ovation, and he wore a toothy smile when he high-fived fans on the way to the locker room.

“The attitude he had tonight was better. Some nights he a little down or has a little foul trouble,” Blazers guard Brandon Roy said. “Tonight he was vocal and stayed with it, so hopefully he can have some carry over from this game.”

LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers.

Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva had 23 points each for the Bucks, who have lost two straight. Villanueva also had 10 rebounds.

Milwaukee had alternated wins and losses in its previous 13 games — the franchise’s longest streak without consecutive wins or losses. The Bucks were coming off a 101-92 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

The Bucks were without top rebounder Andrew Bogut, who missed his third straight game because of back spasms. Bogut is averaging 10.4 rebounds a game.

Bogut’s absence helped Oden, and the Bucks were forced to go with a smaller lineup when Dan Gadzuric got into foul trouble. It also helped that Oden finished with just two fouls in just over 35 minutes of play.

“Everyone seems to have their coming out party on us, and tonight it was Greg Oden,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “He just dominated us. We didn’t have any answers for him. We tried to front him, we tried to play behind him, and he hurt us.”

Oden said he felt comfortable with his shooting, and his teammates encouraged him.

“This feels good,” he said. “It gets my confidence up.”

The Blazers remained without starting point guard Steve Blake, who injured his right shoulder on the Blazers’ road trip. Sergio Rodriguez has been starting in his place.

Portland led by 11 points in the first quarter but the Bucks narrowed it to 31-30 midway through the second on Michael Redd’s layup. Milwaukee could not pull closer, and the Blazers led 45-40 at the break.

Portland extended the lead to 68-53 on rookie Jerryd Bayless’ 3-pointer in the third quarter.

Milwaukee made a move in the fourth, closing to within 76-71 on Villanueva’s 3-pointer. Travis Outlaw answered for the Blazers with a dunk and a free throw, and Portland kept the Bucks at bay the rest of the way.

The Blazers were playing the first of a three-game homestand after going 2-2 on an eastern trip.

Sure, the game went into overtime and there were several key late plays in the Charlotte Bobcats’ third straight victory.

But all anybody wanted to talk about after the Bobcats’ 102-97 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night was the dunk. The alley-oop, one-handed jam by Gerald Wallace over 7-footer Greg Oden in the fourth quarter that had fans gasping and players craning their necks for a glimpse of the replay.

“It was kind of like a college atmosphere in a sense, how the crowd got into it,” said Raymond Felton, who got the assist. “People were so loud. It was big.

“That was a big dunk.”

It was part a monster night from Wallace, who had 31 points and 16 rebounds to lead the new-look Bobcats, who through trades and coach Larry Brown’s persistence are starting to creep into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.

“The chemistry is starting to come together, with the team as well as the coaches,” Wallace said.

Emeka Okafor added 22 points and 11 rebounds, outplaying the foul-plagued Oden as the Bobcats used tough defense over the final minute to secure their longest winning streak since March.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points, and Brandon Roy added 17 but shot poorly from the field and the line for the Blazers, who finished 2-2 on their East Coast trip.

“For whatever reason we looked like we had heavy legs,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said.

Wallace sure didn’t on a play that’s destined for YouTube stardom.

In a tight game, Felton lobbed the ball to the high-flying Wallace, who rose over Oden, grabbed the ball with one hand, and slammed it as Oden bumped Wallace away from the basket with his lower body.

“You always need an energy play, and that’s what you could consider an energy play,” Wallace said.

After Oden was charged with his fifth foul and the fans cheered the replay, Wallace sank the free throw to give Charlotte a 78-77 lead with 6:41 left.

“He dunked on Greg Oden,” Felton said, shaking his head.

On the next possession, Wallace drove hard into the lane, did a 360 and banked in a reverse layup as a helpless Oden hacked him to foul out. Wallace again hit the free throw to put Charlotte ahead 81-77.

The Bobcats still had work to do, as the Blazers rallied from an 88-83 deficit with just over a minute left in regulation, tying it when Roy tipped in his own miss with 9.1 seconds left.

Felton, whose jumper with 0.7 seconds left gave the Bobcats a win in Detroit on Tuesday night, missed a fadeaway 20-footer at the buzzer.

But Felton’s driving layup with 49 seconds left in OT put Charlotte ahead to stay. After Roy missed a shot in the lane, Felton’s miss was rebounded by Okafor, and Felton hit one of two free throws with 5.7 seconds left to make it 100-97.

Short-handed Portland then failed to get a high percentage shot, with Rudy Fernandez’s 3-point attempt failing to hit iron. Okafor hit two free throws with 2.7 seconds left for Charlotte’s ninth win in 15 games.

“This team is growing. Everybody is growing and everybody’s getting better,” said Felton, who has seen the addition of Raja Bell and Boris Diaw in a trade with Phoenix, while big man DeSagana Diop is expected to make his debut Monday after Friday’s trade with Dallas.

The Trail Blazers found out earlier Saturday that starting point guard Steve Blake would miss another two to four weeks with a sprained right shoulder, longer than originally expected.

Sergio Rodriguez started his second straight game in his place and rookie Jerryd Bayless saw significant time, adding 14 points.

But Portland made only 16 of 31 free throws, with Roy the biggest culprit. Harassed most of the night by Bell, Roy shot 7-for-18 from the field and made only three of 10 from the line.

“I haven’t felt great since I came back from my hamstring (injury),” Roy said. “Tonight it really showed. … My mid-range game doesn’t feel as good as before I got hurt.”

Jerryd Bayless got a chance to play with point guard Steve Blake sidelined with a separated shoulder and the Portland Trail Blazers’ rookie took advantage against the New Jersey Nets.

Bayless scored a career-high 23 points and seemingly took the life out of the Nets with a monster dunk that he converted in a late three-point play in Portland’s 105-99 victory on Thursday night.

“I think tonight was kind of my night,” said the rookie from Arizona, who had scored 53 points in his previous 18 games this season. “I helped the team out. I found my comfort level.”

It was unexpected help. Bayless had never scored more than eight points in a game, but he also was never a part of coach Nate McMillan’s rotation.

With Blake expected to be out a week to 10 days, Bayless played 25 minutes.

Bayless was 6-for-9 from the field, with most coming on tough drives down the lane. He also was perfect on 11 free throws.

“I finally let the game come to me,” Bayless said. “Now I can play and be free. It’s just kind of a mental thing. Now I am out of the stranglehold.”

The play most people will see on the highlight film will be his two-handed dunk with 3:20 to go that put Portland ahead 95-89.

“It was crazy,” said Brandon Roy, who led Portland with 29 points. “That’s what we have been expecting from him. He does it in practice and he finally got one down in the game. He put it on his head. He was so excited I don’t think he knew he got fouled.”

Roy, who also added eight rebounds and five assists, said Bayless is going to make the Trail Blazers better.

“I have been telling him to stay patient, that the minutes would come,” Roy said. “He is the first guy in the gym and the last one out. It paid off tonight. Once he gets comfortable, we are going to be dangerous. He is tough going to the basket and he opens up the floor. As he gets more confidence, we’re going to be really tough.”

LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points and Travis Outlaw scored all 13 of his points in the second half, when the Trail Blazers rallied from an 11-point deficit.

Devin Harris had 23 points and eight assists to lead New Jersey, who surrendered 37 fourth-quarter points as Portland hit 13 of 19 shots. Rookie Brook Lopez added 17 points, Bobby Simmons 14 and Vince Carter 13 while playing with a slightly sprained ankle.

“It’s frustrating,” Harris said. “This is one we could have won and we let ourselves down in the end. It’s tough defensively when we don’t get stops and they get a high percentage of their shots to go in.”

The game pitted two teams a day after coming off their most-lopsided losses of the season. Portland lost by 21 points to Philadelphia in a game it lost Blake. The Celtics blew out the Nets by 32 points in Boston.

Roy, Bayless, Aldridge and Outlaw took over in the fourth quarter, scoring the Trail Blazers’ final 34 points with each hitting clutch baskets down the stretch.

Outlaw hit consecutive 3-pointers early in the quarter to help Portland open an 87-82 lead and Aldridge hit an off-balance jumper after collecting a loose ball after New Jersey got within 90-89 on a fast break by Harris.

Bayless then drove the baseline for his resounding three-point play.

The Nets got within four points two other times but Roy drove the lane for a basket with 2:49 to go and Aldridge hit a jumper with 2:06 to play on an assist by Roy, who also had eight rebounds.

Down 69-59 after Harris converted the free throw following a technical foul to McMillan, the Trail Blazers got back in the game with a 9-2 spurt that was capped by a 3-pointer by Outlaw and a rebound follow by Joel Przybilla, who had 11 rebounds.

That got the Trail Blazers within 71-68 after three quarters. A 3-pointer by Rudy Fernandez tied the game early in the fourth quarter and Portland took the lead for good at 77-76 when Outlaw converted 1 of 2 free throws with 9:03 to play.

Greg Oden and the Portland Trailblazers will take on Derrek Rose and the Chicago Bulls on Monday Night. Oden scoed 11 points against the Bulls in his first match-up against the Bulls.

Go Oden!

Go Portland!

Although Portland’s plan was to treat Brandon Roy with caution, by the fourth quarter against Golden State it was clear that no special treatment was necessary.

Roy had 19 points in his return from a hamstring injury to help the Trail Blazers beat the short-handed Warriors 113-100 on Saturday night.

Roy, Portland’s leading scorer, missed four games because of his sore right hamstring. The team went 2-2 in his absence.

He played only about 6 minutes in each of the first three quarters against Golden State. But then, unexpectedly, he started to feel stronger. His second wind kicked in, and he played a full 12 minutes in the final quarter.

“I actually surprised myself and played a little bit better than I thought I would, and maybe a little bit longer,” Roy said.

Roy’s return clearly inspired Portland, which trailed by 12 points in the first half, then led by 18 in the second. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 26 points.

Corey Maggette had 25 points for the Warriors, who lost their fifth straight game. Golden State cut it to 99-94 on Maggette’s 3-pointer and Kelenna Azubuike’s jumper with 4:26 left, but couldn’t get any closer.

Warriors coach Don Nelson said his team struggled with rebounding, turnovers and second-chance points.

“We’re just not good at it,” Nelson said. “It’s not that we don’t try, we’re just not good at it.”

Travis Outlaw added 19 points for the Blazers, who had six players in double figures. Greg Oden had 10 points and eight rebounds.

“I was really pleased with Brandon’s performance after the layoff. I said earlier that we would only play him 20 to 25 minutes, but as the game wore on he said he felt better and wanted to play more,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “We gave him the ball down the stretch and he helped up close the game out.”

Portland was coming off an 84-83 victory over Detroit on Wednesday night, sealed by Outlaw’s fadeaway jumper with 8.9 seconds remaining.

The Warriors lost 114-106 at home to the Lakers on Wednesday, and it was costly. Starting forward Brendan Wright left the game with a dislocated right shoulder and did not play against the Blazers.

The Warriors also were without Stephen Jackson, the team’s second-leading scorer, because of a strained right hamstring. He has missed two games.

But rookie guard Anthony Morrow was back after missing the team’s game against the Lakers for personal reasons.

Golden State, 4-20 on the road this season, has lost seven straight away from home.

The Warriors took a 34-22 lead in the first half on Azubuike’s 3-pointer and two free throws from Maggette.

The Blazers came back to tie it at 41 on Roy’s dunk. The teams wrestled over the lead until Outlaw scored the half’s final seven points to give Portland a 55-49 lead at the break.

The Blazers led from there. Roy and Outlaw brought the biggest cheers of the night with back-to-back dunks that made it 90-76.

The Blazers caused a stir off the court in recent days because of an e-mail sent to executives across the league that suggested Portland could take legal action against any team to sign former forward Darius Miles.

Miles was waived by the Blazers at the end of last season, after an independent doctor said a knee injury was career-ending. However, Miles has tried to make a comeback and has played in eight NBA games. If he plays in 10, some $18 million that the Blazers owe him would count toward the team’s salary cap.

Blazers president Larry Miller said the team sent the e-mail warning because of talk that other teams were considering signing Miles with the intention of hurting Portland financially.

Even without All-Star guard Brandon Roy, the Portland Trail Blazers earned an impressive win Tuesday night.

Steve Blake had 21 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 and the short-handed Blazers beat the Boston Celtics 91-86, giving the NBA champions their third loss in four games.

Missing Roy because of a pulled hamstring, the Blazers snapped a seven-game losing streak against Boston and pulled into a tie atop the Northwest Division with Denver.

Finding a way to win without Roy was a confidence boost for the Blazers.

“It was huge for us,” Aldridge said. “He’s our go-to guy but guys really stepped up and played good tonight. Today we really had to come together.”

Reserve forward Travis Outlaw had 17 points for Portland and Greg Oden added 13 points and 11 rebounds despite injuring his ankle in practice Monday.

Paul Pierce scored 28 points, making 14 of 15 foul shots, and Kevin Garnett had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics (28-5), who were at the end of a four-game road trip and have more losses since Dec. 25 than in the previous two months of the season.

“Down the stretch we just made bad plays,” said Ray Allen, who scored 12 points. “That’s been the theme of the last three games we’ve lost.”

Boston had a franchise-record 19-game winning streak stopped by the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas and lost to Golden State the next night. The Celtics bounced back with a 108-63 win over Sacramento, but they hadn’t lost to Portland since Dec. 9, 2004.

Rajon Rondo had 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds for Boston.

Portland (20-12) is off to its best start since 2002-03, its most recent playoff season. With Roy out, Portland was missing its captain and leading scorer, but the Blazers were the more aggressive team, outrebounding Boston 44-29.

Led by Outlaw, Portland’s bench scored 29 points. Boston lost the lead in the third and didn’t get it back.

The Celtics intimidated and held Portland to its lowest point total of the season in a 93-78 win in Boston on Dec. 5. Even so, and even without Roy, the Blazers thought they could win at home, where they are 12-3 this season.

“We had to step it up a notch,” Blake said. “But if you’re going to win a championship, you’re going to have to step it up. We have a lot of talented guys that come to play each night and tonight wasn’t any different.”

Pierce made five free throws to get Boston to 85-83, but Outlaw drove the ball and jammed it over Garnett on the other end. Pierce completed a three-point play for Boston, but Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez each made two free throws to put the game away for the Blazers.