PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- Zach Randolph and the Portland Trail Blazers are getting good at bouncing back from losses.
Randolph scored a season-high 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Trail Blazers to a 90-83 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Portland has alternated losses and wins in its first six games, bouncing back from a defeat for the third time. The Trail Blazers used big efforts from Randolph and reserve Jeff McInnis on a night when stars Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells struggled.
"Tonight's a win, we've got to take steps to getting better to win a couple games in a row," Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said. "Tonight we took some steps, even if they were baby steps."
The Trail Blazers scored only 34 points in the second half of Friday's 100-82 loss at Seattle.
"It was disappointing last night and it was good to come back and win the game," Randolph said. "I thought we did a good job tonight."
Randolph muscled his way to 15 points in the first half and Portland continued to feed its major low-post threat. McInnis netted a season-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, feasting on Atlanta's zone defense.
"They were playing that zone and they were making us make jump shots and luckily we made a few," McInnis said.
Stephen Jackson's 3-pointer pulled Atlanta within 86-83 with 1:25 remaining, but Damon Stoudamire fed Randolph for a hook shot 20 seconds later. Jackson missed a jumper and Jason Terry committed a turnover on the Hawks' next two possessions.
Atlanta remained winless on the road, dropping to 0-4. Shareef Abdur-Rahim led four Hawks in double figures with 18 points.
"I really don't know what to say, I really don't," Abdur-Rahim said. "It wasn't a good game."
Wallace was 4-of-13 from the floor for 11 points and seven rebounds. Wells was 2-of-10 for four points and took a hard fall in the second quarter when trying to block a layup by Dion Glover.
While Randolph established himself inside, he mixed in a medium-range jumper that was effective in stretching the defense.
"I've been practicing that shot all summer," Randolph said. "Now when the season starts, I get to show that when I'm open I'm going to shoot it."
Portland led by as many as 11 points in the first half, settling for a 51-42 halftime cushion. Atlanta rallied and used a 15-5 run for a 62-60 edge on Abdur-Rahim's jumper with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.
The Hawks went cold over the rest of the period as the Trail Blazers scored eight of the quarter's final 10 points and used a zone of their own to re-establish control. Atlanta was 2-of-20 from the arc, including 1-of-7 by Jackson.
"I think most of them were good looks," Atlanta coach Terry Stotts said. "Their zone gave us some good looks. They made theirs and we didn't make ours."
Jackson finished with 16 points and Glover and Terry each added 14 for Atlanta, which has lost five straight at Portland since a 99-90 win on December 15, 1997.
