Kanter signs with Portland

THE Portland Trail Blazers gave their Western Conference playoff push a boost by signing veteran center Enes Kanter on Wednesday. The 26-yearold Turkish big man became available after being waived by the New York Knicks at the NBA trading deadline last Thursday. “I look forward to helping the Blazers achieve the ultimate goal of competing for a championship,” Kanter wrote on Twitter. The Blazers are 33-23 on the season and tied with the Houston Rockets for fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. In eight seasons with Utah, Oklahoma City and New York, Kanter has averaged 11.9 points and 7.6 rebounds.