NBA Notebook | Brandon Roy's dramatic shots lift team to overtime win

PORTLAND, Ore. — Brandon Roy made a 30-foot jumper as time expired in overtime to lift the Portland Trail Blazers to a thrilling 101-99 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers in a game that featured three dramatic shots in the final 1.9 seconds.

Roy first hit a turnaround 21-footer that put the Blazers up 98-96. But Yao Ming scored and drew a foul against Roy on the other end with 0.8 seconds left, then made the free throw to give Houston the lead.

Portland called timeout and the inbounds play went to Roy, who swished the winner. Tracy McGrady scored 24 of his 30 points after halftime and Luis Scola had 14 for the Rockets (3-2). Roy finished 6 for 18 from the field and had 17 points for Portland.

Denver native Billups

returns a new player

DENVER — Chauncey Billups' vertical has diminished and his speed in the open court slowed.

That's fine with the Denver Nuggets — they just like him for his winning touch.

The Mile High City native led the Detroit Pistons to six straight Eastern Conference finals with his impeccable decision-making abilities and clutch shooting. That's why the Nuggets acquired Billups, along with Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb, from Detroit this week for Allen Iverson.

"I'm coming to work, I'm coming to win," Billups said Thursday. "If guys want to win, they're going to fall in line. That's all I play for — that's the only reason I play — is to win."

Billups is a celebrity around Denver, a high-school prodigy who went on to play at the University of Colorado. He couldn't wait to get back for a second stint in Denver. After all, Billups' first time in town didn't go as he expected — he was forced to play shooting guard with Nick Van Exel.

"When I first came back here, I was like the hometown kid coming back," Billups said. "Now I'm a man. I'm not the same, as far as my game goes."

Note

• Utah's Jerry Sloan can become the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with the same team when the Jazz host Oklahoma City on Friday night. The Jazz is 999-596 since Sloan took over as coach in December 1988.