The Trail Blazers will attempt to run their winning streak to 14 on Monday in Utah, but they will have to do it without Coach Nate McMillan.

McMillan on Monday will attend the funeral of his mother-in-law in North Carolina and is set to rejoin the team on Tuesday in Minneapolis. Lead assistant Dean Demopoulos will coach the team.

It will be the second time Demopoulos has served as head coach of the Blazers. Last November, in the season's sixth game, a home contest against New Orleans, Demopoulos took over when McMillan left the team for another family matter.

While Brandon Roy is Portland's top scorer, the Trail Blazers look to Travis Outlaw in the fourth quarter.

Outlaw, a reserve, was 1-for-7 from the floor for the first three quarters but took over in the fourth as the Blazers went on a 21-0 run to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 97-72 on Sunday for their league-leading 13th straight win.

Brandon Roy scored 22 points despite not playing the second quarter, and the Portland Trail Blazers got their league-leading 12th straight victory Friday night by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-98.

The streak matches Portland's best run since winning 12 in a row during the 2001-02 season, the team's second-longest stretch. Portland's longest streak was 16 games in the 1990-91 season.

After the Trail Blazers won their 11th straight game, normally stoic owner Paul Allen looked directly at a camera and jubilantly held up one finger on each hand to signify the streak.

That's what winning is doing for the surprising Blazers.

"We're going out there with all the confidence in the world and a sense of urgency at the same time," forward Martell Webster said. "It's resulting in wins."

The latest win came Tuesday night when Brandon Roy and Jarrett Jack each scored 17 points and Portland beat the SuperSonics 89-79.

The Portland Trail Blazers recalled guard Taurean Green from the NBA Development League?s Idaho Stampede, Trail Blazers' General Manager Kevin Pritchard announced today.
 
Green, who was assigned to the Stampede on Dec. 10, averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 37.8 minutes in four games (all starts) with the Trail Blazers? D-League affiliate.

Martell Webster scored 19 points, while Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each added 18 to help the Portland Trail Blazers extend their winning streak to 10 games with a 99-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

Portland, which has the longest current winning streak in the NBA, has not won as many consecutive games since the Blazers were victorious in 12 straight in the 2001-02 season.

Just when it seems life can't get any better for the streaking Trail Blazers, it does: LaMarcus Aldridge, the team's second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, will start tonight at power forward against Toronto after doctors deemed the plantar fasciitis in his right foot healed.

Aldridge, who missed the last five victories in the Blazers' eight-game winning streak, has been given an orthotic in his right shoe to help absorb the pounding his foot will take. Aldridge is averaging 18.7 points and 7.7 rebounds and shooting 53.3 percent from the field.

"It definitely should make us better," Coach Nate McMillan said. "We've had some guys step up and play well, and we are hoping those guys continue to do what they have been doing. But now we put him out there and hope he keeps doing what he was doing. He was one of our best players up until the point where he had to sit down. That should just add to what we are doing."

Trail Blazers' guard Brandon Roy, who missed Tuesday's practice with flu-like symptoms, said at Wednesday's shootaround that he will play in tonight's home game against Toronto, and Coach Nate McMillan said his star will start.

"Right now, it's early, and I haven't really eaten anything today. So if 10 is the best, I'm about a 7 right now," Roy said. "But I will be there tonight."

Roy is the third Blazers' player in the past 10 days to experience flu-like symptoms.

"It just snuck up on me yesterday," Roy said. "But I feel a lot better than I did yesterday. I just laid down yesterday; I was so tired. But I think that helped."

Roy said he received intravenous fluids at the doctor's office yesterday and that the problem has been mostly with his stomach.

Travis Outlaw isn?t usually available immediately for interviews after home games. He normally lifts weights for about a half-hour before showering.

?I?m playing a lot of power forward, and I need to get stronger,? says the 6-9 Outlaw, who weighs 210 sopping wet. ?I guess it?s a mind thing.?

Outlaw has scored 20 or more points in five of the last seven and six of the last 10 games after not hitting the mark once in the first 14 games of the season.

Let teammate Joel Przybilla make the first nomination, ?Travis is definitely up there among candidates for sixth man of the year. My first year in Portland was his second year here. To see him grow and mature since then ? he?s become a heck of a player in this league.?

Bobby Medina, in his 11th year in Portland as their strength and conditioning coach after five years with Seattle, says Oden reminds him of a young Shawn Kemp or Jermaine O?Neal in terms of work ethic.

?Greg?s a monster in the weight room,? Medina says. ?I?m not at all worried about his (weight). Once he gets into his cardio, running up and down, he?ll be fine ? he?s an active guy."

?Right now is a tough time because all he can do is ride a bike and do a little work in the water. But when he gets to the point where he can run, he?ll lose some weight and keep all the muscle and his tone."

?We don?t want him to be a football player. We want him to keep his athleticism, but he needs to be strong at that position.?

Oden gets that sheepish grin when asked how he?s doing.

?Right now, I?m just enjoying being big,? he says. (Don?t you just love this guy?)

?I?m the strongest I?ve ever been,? he adds. ?I hope I can stay that way, but that I?ll be able to get my weight down after I?m able to start running again. Jay (Jensen, the Blazer trainer) says I can do that at four months, so I?m a few weeks away.?