PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Trail Blazers made their first seven 3-pointers against Charlotte and from there it almost seemed too easy. "Making shots is contagious," said Wesley Matthews, who had 25 points, including five of Portlands 21 3-pointers, in a 134-104 rout of the Bobcats on Thursday night. The 21 3-pointers matched a franchise high, set in a 139-105 victory at the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 14, and made Portland the first NBA team to have two games in one season with at least 20 3-pointers. Damian Lillard 24 points, making all six of his 3-point tries, and the Blazers finished by making 63.6 per cent of their 33 attempts. The NBA record for 3-pointers in a single game is 23. "It was a lot of fun," said Lillard, who has made at least four 3-pointers in four straight games. "Shots were falling." With the win, Portland upped its record to 26-7 and moved back into the top spot in the Western Conference. It was the season-high fifth-straight loss for the Bobcats, who were coming off a 112-85 loss to the Clippers the night before. Charlotte has lost six straight in Portland. Chris Douglas-Roberts came off the bench to lead the Bobcats with a season-high 20 points. Al Jefferson added 19. The 21 3s were the most the Bobcats had ever allowed in franchise history. "Our team is thinking too much about offence, we have individual guys who need to build their games around their defence and theyre worried about theyre offence," Bobcats first-year coach Steve Clifford said. "Were not built that way. Were not going to be outscoring people. If were not going to commit to defence and rebounding, then were limited in how good we can be." The Blazers were coming off a 98-94 come-from-behind victory at Oklahoma City on New Years Eve. The win snapped a two-game losing streak, the first back-to-back losses for Portland this season. Charlotte has been known this season for its defence. The Bobcats have held opponents to under 100 points 24 times this season, and they went into the game ranked third in the league for points allowed with an average of 93.8. But they couldnt stop Portland, which led by as many as 32 points. The Blazers went ahead 23-9 early after a 14-0 run that included four straight 3-pointers. Mo Williams 3 pushed Portlands lead to 33-13. Meyers Leonards dunk off a dish from Williams upped the lead to 49-29 and the Blazers were ahead 70-49 at the half. Matthews led all scorers with 17 points, while Jefferson had 11 for Charlotte. Matthews said hes just taking the shots that are there. "Im trying to focus on everything but shooting and it seems to be paying off for me," he said. Lillard hit a 3-pointer that gave the Blazers an 89-64 lead midway through the third, and Charlotte was essentially out of it. Portland led 100-77 going into the fourth quarter. "These are the games you love playing," said Williams, who had 15 points and 10 assists. LaMarcus Aldridge had 10 points and 15 rebounds for his team-leading 19th double-double of the season. Blazers coach Terry Stotts sat his starters early in the fourth quarter. "I knew about our record, I knew about the NBA record. But I didnt want to get caught up in that," Stotts said. "If we fell into it, then thats great, but I thought the guys who played in the fourth quarter played the game the right way. They were aggressive, they moved the ball. Defensively, they played hard. I think its bad karma to go out and try to do that." Clifford also rested most of his starters late in the game. "I dont feel we were ready to play," Douglas-Roberts said. "Theyre too good not to come out and give a 100 per cent effort. We kind of have to do some soul-searching and turn this thing around." NOTES: The Blazers have assigned guard C.J. McCollum to the Idaho Stampede, the Trail Blazers NBA D-League affiliate. McCollum, the 10th overall pick in last years NBA draft out of Lehigh, has been sidelined since fracturing his foot in training camp. ... Portlands 39 points in the first quarter matched their season high for this season. ... The Blazers have made at least eight 3-pointers in eight consecutive games for the first time in franchise history. Mark Messier Rangers Jersey . Hawkins severely sprained his left ankle while making a diving catch during training camp and went on injured reserve with a designation he could return midway through the season. He was back at practice Wednesday. Vladislav Namestnikov Rangers Jersey . Osmond, of Marystown, N.L., fell in the middle of her routine and placed fifth in the ladies free skate at Iceberg Skating Palace (110.73 points), but that was all the Canadians needed after a strong performance by Kevin Reynolds in the mens free earlier Sunday. http://www.rangershockeyonlineshop.com/r...-hockey-jersey/. According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Ron Greschner Jersey . FIFA said in a statement Friday that "several racist and discriminatory incidents were apparently perpetrated by local supporters during the match, in particular by displaying neo-Nazi banners and by making monkey noises and gestures as well as Nazi salutes. Martin St. Louis Jersey . Osmond, of Marystown, N.L., fell in the middle of her routine and placed fifth in the ladies free skate at Iceberg Skating Palace (110.73 points), but that was all the Canadians needed after a strong performance by Kevin Reynolds in the mens free earlier Sunday.TORONTO -- Richard Eckersley had hoped to say his Toronto FC farewell on the pitch. But the 24-year-old English fullback will say his goodbyes instead via the media as the MLS club holds its end-of-season wrap Monday -- for the seventh straight year in advance of the playoffs. Eckersley, like striker Danny Koevermans and goalkeeper Stefan Frei, is headed out the door. All three have been deemed surplus to requirements. Eckersleys crime is he is too expensive in a league whose salary cap was US$2.95 million this season. His salary was listed at $90,000 in 2011, $390,000 in 2012 and $310,000 in 2013. Of course the salary cap figures revealed by the MLS Players Union only tell part of the story with clubs able to use allocation money to reduce the amount that is publicly listed. The contracts of Koevermans (only $368,750 of his $1.663 million salary counted against the 2013 salary cap as a designated player) and Frei ($200,000) both expire later this year. But Eckersley has one more year, worth more than $500,000 thanks to a renegotiation to lighten the cap hit this year. Chances are the team will rid itself of that burden, using a once-a-year available buyout that does not count against the salary cap. Eckersley hopes that will lead to a job with another MLS team. "Id definitely like to stay (in MLS). If youre playing for a successful team, I think it would be a great league to play in. Its just that for the last two and a half years weve not been successful. "I like the league, I like how they play." He saw action in just 13 league wins with Toronto. Eckersley played in 72 league games, including 70 starts, in total. Frei played in 82 (all starts) while the injury-plagued Koevermans had 30 games (22 starts). Their departures will leave 22-year-old fullback Ashtone Morgan (66 games) atop the list for league appearances in a Toronto FC shirt. Next on the list are midfielders Reggie Lambe (55 games) and Jeremy Hall (54 games) and 20-year-old defender Doneil Henry (49 games). Eckersley played for Paul Mariner, Torontos former director of player development and manager, while on loan at Plymouth Argyle. A popular player with TFC supporters, Eckersley is an energetic and versatile defender. A full-bodied fullback who loves to race down the flank, he played on the right and left as well as in central defence when needed. He added competitiveness and bite to the Toronto backline. Eckersleys 2013 seasonn was marred by injury, however, and ended early as the team made it clear it was looking to the future.dddddddddddd He was ruled out of a Sept. 14 game in New York because of an injury sustained in training and then sat out the next five games while the team gave Mark Bloom ($46,500) an audition at right fullback. Eckersley never complained publicly. "If the gaffer (manager Ryan Nelsen) feels Im not going to be here next season, then hes going to try to plan for future seasons," he said. His regret is not being able to "say thanks to the fans and wave them goodbye, so to speak." "Theyve been very good to me," he said. "Honestly the supports been fantastic every week -- week in, week out." Eckersleys frustrations started at training camp this year. "I knew that they wanted to look at my contract so I had that in the back of my mind. In pre-season, I was really frustrated and my head was kind of elsewhere. Up until I realized Im just going to play. Im just going to play for me and then if the club sorts it out, then they sort it out." He started the first five games of the season then injured his hamstring celebrating teammate Darel Russells 90th-minute equalizer against FC Dallas on April 6. Eckersley missed the next three months as his hamstring refused to co-operate. He returned July 13 and started 11 games straight before the New York game signalled the beginning of the end. "Its been a frustrating year, but thats football isnt it," he said philosophically. "Youve just got to kind of deal with it. Everyone deals with it in different ways. I just try to get on the training pitch and hopefully good things come from there." Publicly, Nelsen has said Eckersley is a fine player who is a victim of his contract and the MLS salary cap. He jokes that Eckersleys agent did too good a job negotiating the deal. Eckersley, for his part, notes that he arrived on loan so there was plenty of talk with Toronto about wages. Plus the former Manchester United and Burnley product "was on a lot of money in England." "So for me to come out here, I needed decent money, so to speak." Eckersley expects Toronto to do better next year, in his absence. "It will be sad to leave but hopefully Ill go to a successful team. But its been a great two and a half years and I cant really thank the fans and the players enough really." ' ' '