under the influence of marijuana the night he died and

PORTLAND, Ore. -- LaMarcus Aldridges big night against the Houston Rockets wasnt about the stats, the All-Star votes or the fans chanting "MVP! MVP!" "This was a we needed a win night for me," said Aldridge, who had 31 points and a career-high 25 rebounds in the Trail Blazers 111-104 victory Thursday. For Aldridge, it was important that Portland (19-4) come away with a win after losing to the Rockets earlier this season -- a rare blip for the Western Conference leaders. It was the first time in franchise history that a Blazers player scored 30 or more points with 25 or more rebounds. "Im blessed," Aldridge said. "(But) I felt tonight, it was needed." Dwight Howard had 32 points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets, who beat the Blazers 116-101 on Nov. 5. That was one of just two losses at home this season for Portland. The Trail Blazers led by 10 early in the fourth quarter, but Chandler Parsons hit a 3-pointer to narrow it to 93-88 with 7:07 left. Houston closed to 97-95 after James Harden made a layup and a free throw with 4:45 to go. Nicolas Batums 3-pointer pushed Portlands lead to 102-95 before Wesley Matthews layup and free throw made it 108-96 with 2:04 left and all but put the game out of reach for the Rockets. "They made some big plays down the stretch," Howard said. "It seemed like every time we would close the gap, they came down and got a great shot. This was big for them." Blazers centre Robin Lopez added 16 points and 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season, a career high. Portland was coming off a 105-94 victory in Utah on Monday. The Blazers have scored 100 or more points in 10 consecutive games. Houston had won two straight, including a 98-88 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. The Rockets (15-7) were without Omer Asik, who missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right thigh. Houston did get back guard Jeremy Lin, who missed the previous six games with a sprained right knee. Rockets coach Kevin McHale was not with the team because of the death of his mother. Her funeral is scheduled for Friday in Minnesota. Assistant coach Kelvin Sampson ran the club against the Blazers. "Portland is obviously really good, and theyre really good in this gym," Sampson said. "They are playing with a lot of confidence right now." Neither side was able to get in front by more than five points in the first half. Portland held a 21-20 lead after the opening quarter. Aldridge was just 1 for 7 from the floor but he had nine rebounds. Houston went ahead 32-28 on Parsons layup and Howards hook shot, and the Rockets led 44-43 at halftime. Neither team shot well, with Portland at 32 per cent and Houston at 36 per cent. The Rockets had just five first-half assists. The Blazers opened the second half with an 11-3 run capped by Matthews 3-pointer to take a 54-47 lead. Portland stretched the lead to 59-49 on Lopezs dunk and free throw. Aldridge got rolling with 11 points and eight rebounds. The Rockets closed the gap to 70-68 late in the third quarter when Howard hit a pair of free throws and dunked. Omri Casspi tied it at 70 on free throws with 2 minutes left. The game was tied going into the fourth quarter, but Portland scored 10 unanswered points to go up 86-76. "I think we go into games with a certain level of confidence, but, at the same time, we realize that were playing hard and our success is because were playing hard," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "Our record is what it is, but its not easy. You have to compete every night." NOTES: Aldridge has four 20-20 games, making him the fourth Blazers player with that many. He is the only NBA player with two this season. ... Houstons Terrence Jones went to Portlands Jefferson High School. ... It was the opener of a three-game road trip for the Rockets. ... The Blazers embark on a four-game trip starting at Philadelphia on Saturday. ... 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"Hes not in the intensive care," Erskine said. Geron Christian Redskins Jersey .com) - Marian Gaborik scored his sixth goal in the last four games to help the Los Angeles Kings top the Arizona Coyotes, 4-2, Saturday at Staples Center. CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- After more than six weeks in limbo, NASCAR star Tony Stewart finally got the news he had been hoping for. A grand jury that heard testimony from more than two dozen witnesses, including accident reconstruction experts and drivers, and looked at photographs and video decided against bringing criminal charges against Stewart for the death of 20-year-old sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr. during an Aug. 9 race. That doesnt mean its over. A few hours after Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo announced the grand jurys decision in this upstate New York hamlet, the Ward family indicated in a statement read over the telephone by sister Kayla Herring that they will seek civil damages in the young drivers death. "Our son got out of his car during caution when the race was suspended. All the other vehicles were reducing speed and not accelerating except for Stewart, who intentionally tried to intimidate Kevin by accelerating and sliding his car toward him, causing the tragedy," the family said Wednesday. "The focus should be on the actions of Mr. Stewart. This matter is not at rest and we will pursue all remedies in fairness to Kevin." The family might have a difficult task: Tantillo disclosed that Ward was under the influence of marijuana the night he died and said two different videos were enhanced, frames were isolated and viewed at at least three different speeds and finally overlaid with grids and data. Both showed Stewart had done nothing wrong. "The videos did not demonstrate any aberrational driving by Tony Stewart until the point of impact with Kevin Ward, at which point his vehicle veered to the right up the track as a result of the collision. Prior to that, his course was pretty straight," said Tantillo. He added that toxicology evidence from Wards autopsy "indicates that at the time of operation he was under the influence of marijuana. The levels determined were enough to impair judgment." Stewarts reaction was not one of celebration, and his statement had the same twinge of sadness that hes carried since he returned to NASCAR three weeks ago following three weeks of seclusion after Wards death. The 43-year-old NASCAR superstar acknowledged the investigation was "long and emotionally difficult" but noted it allowed time for all the facts to be presented. "This has been the toughest and most emotional experience of my life, and it will stay with me forever. Im very grateful for all the support Ive received and continue to receive," he said. "While much of the attention has been on me, its important to remember a young man lost his life. Kevin Ward Jr.s family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers." David Weinstein, a former state and federal prosecutor in Miami who is not involved in the case, said the toxicology evidence will make it difficult for the Wards to win a lawsuit against Stewart. He said the Ward statement showed the family was "clearly upset and at a vulnerable point." "Hopefully, someone will explain to them that Kevin will be dragged through the mud during a civil trial," he said. "After the results of the toxicology report and the findings of the grand jury, the deep pockets will not be willing to settle this lawsuit so quickly." The decision came nearly seven weeks after Stewarts car struck and killed Ward, sending shock waves through the top racing series in thee United States.dddddddddddd The brash and popular NASCAR driver known as "Smoke" skipped three races as he grieved, and returned to racing in late August. One of the biggest stars in the garage, Stewart has 48 career Cup wins in 542 starts but is winless this year and did not make the championship Chase field. Sheriff Philip Povero spent weeks investigating, several times saying he did not have evidence to suggest Stewart meant to harm the other driver. Authorities said the first car to pass Ward had to swerve to miss hitting him. The front of Stewarts car appeared to clear Ward, but Ward was struck by the right rear tire and hurtled through the air. He died of blunt force trauma. The sheriff asked in the days after Wards death for spectators to turn over photos and videos of the crash as investigators worked to reconstruct the accident. Among the things being looked at were the dim lighting, how muddy it was and whether Wards dark firesuit played a role in his death, given the conditions. Tantillo also said two videos -- one from a fan, the other from the tiny track in Canandaigua -- had been examined and enhanced. The grand jurors "were not considering whether anybody else was at fault," Tantillo said. "However, I am sure from their deliberations and discussions that the fact that Kevin Ward was observed running basically down two thirds of the track, into a hot track, into the middle of other cars that were racing, played a big, big factor in their decision," he said. "Realistically, I think judgment is probably the most important factor in this case." Stewart vowed to co-operate in the investigation but he did not testify before the grand jury. He issued a brief statement expressing deep sadness and then dropped off the radar, missing races at Watkins Glen, Michigan and Bristol before coming back for the Aug. 31 race at Atlanta. Stewarts peers were protective of him as questions emerged in the aftermath of the crash, and it pained them that Stewart was grieving in private and had cut off communication with so many of them. They welcomed him back in Atlanta, two CEOs from his top sponsors stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him before the race in a sign of support, and fans gave him a robust cheer, too. NASCAR spokesman Brett Jewkes said there were "no winners" in the accident and expressed support for Wards family and Stewart. Current Chase leader and 2012 NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski tweeted after the marijuana disclosure: "Cant believe what Im reading about Tony Stewarts case. Why didnt they release this sooner?!?!" After Wards death, NASCAR announced a rule that prohibits drivers from climbing out of a crashed or disabled vehicle -- unless it is on fire -- until safety personnel arrive. The series also cleared the way for Stewart to make its Chase for the Sprint Cup championship with a win, despite missing the three races. Stewart, who is from Columbus, Indiana, has long been one of the most proficient drivers in racing, winning in every kind of series, from sprint cars to the elite Sprint Cup Series. He has for years taken part in little races in nondescript towns because he loves the thrill of the high horsepower, lightweight cars skidding around the dirt. He rarely made his schedule public, popping up when he pleased, and he was welcome at the clay track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park the night before the NASCAR race in nearby Watkins Glen. 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