record now because were tied, and you cant go to eight until you get seven.A seventh title didnt appear likely for much of the

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Xavier Johnsons 19 points helped Colorado hand Portland its first home loss in the Terry Porter era on Saturday night, 76-63.We gave away too many offensive rebounds and turned the ball over too much, Pilots senior guard Alec Wintering said. But we were hanging close (and then) just let it get away.Josh Fortune added 14 points, Derrick White had 13 and George King 12 for Colorado (6-2), which was coming off a 14-point loss to in-state rival Colorado State on Wednesday. Johnson hit 8 of 10 from the line and was 5 for 11 from the field.Jazz Johnson led Portland (4-3) with 18 points, Wintering added 17 and DMarques Tyson had 14.A 3-pointer from Tyson with less than nine minutes left brought Portland within three and the Pilots bench to their feet but the celebration was short lived. A jumper from Johnson ignited Colorados offense and Portland soon trailed by double-digits.We knew coming into the game that their physicality and ability to rebound would be a game changer, Porter said. They really scrapped and we didnt do a good enough job of keeping them off the boards and then we turned it over too many times.But the Pilots gave Colorado a run for their money in the first half.Both teams opened slow and struggled offensively -- neither capitalizing on the first five possessions. The Pilots gave up 10 turnovers, including five from Wintering and the Buffs committed eight. A 12-2 Portland run put them up by as many as eight but a 7-0 run by the Buffs cut the Pilots halftime lead to two.In the second half, an early 7-0 run by CU tied the game up at 35. The two teams traded points before Colorado was able to pull away on Deleon Browns 3-pointer with just over 11 minutes remaining. Although the Pilots later got within three, and had some good minutes from Tyson late, they never caught up.The second half we were better, CU coach Tad Boyle said. We battled. We competed and guys stepped up and made plays. Josh Fortune made plays, X (Xavier) Johnson made plays. West (Gordon) made a big play at a critical time. Derrick (White) made plays down the stretch. Thats what you have to have. Your fifth year seniors are only good if they play like fifth year seniors. In the second half tonight, they did.Wintering and Johnson never sat, playing all 40 minutes for Portland.BIG PICTUREColorado: The Buffaloes led the pac-12 in 3-point percentage last season and finished just 26.3 percent from outside the arc against the Pilots on Saturday.Portland: The undersized backcourt of Johnson and Wintering -- who are fourth in scoring in the country behind Central Michigans Marcus Keene and Braylon Rayson, St. Bonaventures Jalen Adams and Matt Mobley and Pittsburgs Jamel Artis and Michael Young -- put up a combined 35 points against the Buffs. The pair is coming off a combined 62-point performance.UP NEXTColorado: Returns home to host Xavier on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.Portland will stay at home and host UT Rio Grande Valley at 7 p.m. on Monday and will look to end their last home game for two weeks with a win.Tracy Mcgrady Magic Jersey . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. 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Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury.HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Jimmie Johnson didnt shy away from talk of a record-tying seventh Sprint Cup championship.So he has no reason to shy away from talk of an eighth.Within hours of hoisting his seventh Sprint Cup, Johnson couldnt avoid questions Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway about earning an eighth, a championship that would put him in elite company -- with himself. He currently sits tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. for the record with seven titles.I dont know what the chances are, but lets go, Johnson said a couple of hours after his victory celebrations. Im so excited to put that in front of myself and the team as a hurdle to get over and an accomplishment to achieve.Johnson swears that all he ever wanted to do was race. He obviously has done more than that with 80 victories and the seven titles -- with the seven coming in a shorter span (11 years) than Earnhardts first seven (15 years) and Pettys (16 years).The 41-year-old Johnson won five consecutive titles from 2006 to 10 and then again in 2013, with all of them coming in the 10-race mini-season format. This was his first in the elimination-style format implemented in 2014.I had a lot of fun racing for the sixth, Johnson said. This one and the calm nature and the way we went about business and got it done only gives me more confidence for tthe future.dddddddddddd.I honestly feel like Im playing with house money. I never aspired to be famous. I never aspired to be a champion. I just wanted to race.Even his car owner, Rick Hendrick, didnt shy away from the conversation. Hendrick has won 12 of the past 25 championships -- seven with Johnson, four with Jeff Gordon and one with Terry Labonte.I think the five in a row was pretty phenomenal, and I think winning seven and tying seven is pretty special, Hendrick said. Im excited to see him and [crew chief] Chad [Knaus] try to break the record now because were tied, and you cant go to eight until you get seven.A seventh title didnt appear likely for much of the 2016 season, which included Johnsons longest winless streak -- 24 races -- of his career. His calm demeanor throughout it all likely helped, especially in the season finale Sunday, when he ran last among the four finalists for much of the race.He thinks he can bring the same attitude toward trying to win an eighth title.Ive found a way to put it in that simple mindset here the last couple attempts, in 13 and now in 16, Johnson said. I think it makes us really dangerous, and I look forward to the challenge of trying to get No. 8. ' ' '