(My Sportsbook) - It took an injury to Scottie Pippen for it to happen, but Damon Stoudamire got his opportunity to start again for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Pippen, the team's usual starting point guard, was unable to play against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday after aggravating a knee injury. To the surprise of many, head coach Maurice Cheeks inserted Stoudamire into the starting lineup for the first time since November 12.

Stoudamire started Portland's first nine games this season before falling out of favor with Cheeks. Stoudamire has been benched a total of 23 games since and is averaging only 19.5 minutes per game this season.

Stoudamire took advantage of the situation Wednesday, scoring a season-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting and dishing out seven assists to lead Portland to a 125-103 victory against his former team.

"He had been the first guard off the bench the last few games, so when I found out Scottie wasn't playing it was a no-brainer for me to put Damon in the starting lineup," Cheeks said. "I knew he would start out right away giving us some energy because that's what he does when he comes off the bench."

"Scottie has set the tone all season long and I just tried to come out and keep everybody involved," Stoudamire said. "Basically I go out and try to do what he does, dictate the tempo, try to pick and choose my shots."

Wednesday's victory was the third straight for the Blazers and seventh in their last nine games.

However, Portland's winning streak came to an end on Friday, as it suffered a 90-79 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia.

Stoudamire once again got the start, as Pippen continued to rest. The Arizona product collected a team-high 16 points and four assists in 41 minutes, but shot just 5-of-15 from the field.

Portland trailed by just three entering the fourth quarter, but the Sixers started the final frame with a 9-2 burst to open a 73-63 advantage. The Blazers never pulled closer than six the rest of the way.

The imposing Blazers were outrebounded by Philly, 45-37, and outscored in the paint, 46-38. Portland also committed 25 turnovers and totaled only 15 assists.

"The game was right there for us, but we had 25 turnovers," said Cheeks. "That's a hard one to overcome. They played a pretty good game when they had to."

The Blazers maintained a 1 1/2-game lead over Minnesota for the fourth spot in the Western Conference, as the Timberwolves fell to the LA Lakers Friday. Portland and Minnesota square off in a crucial matchup at the Target Center on Sunday. Sunday.

The Blazers conclude their three-game road trip with a tilt in Indiana on Monday.