ANNE M

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The intensity and focus that has the Spurs rolling 3-0 over Portland in the Western Conference semifinals can be traced to their Game 3 loss to Dallas in the first round.

Vince Carter hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Mavericks went up 2-1. But San Antonio simply was not going to concede the opening round after last season's disappointing Game 7 loss to the Miami Heat for the NBA title.

"Down 2-1, Dallas really made it a series. They played great basketball - everybody was playing very well on that team and they made it hard on us," Spurs guard Tony Parker said. "In Game 7 you have to show up because if you don't the season's over. I think we learned from it and so far, we're playing good."

Boris Diaw also pointed to the Dallas series, which San Antonio won with a 119-96 victory in the deciding Game 7.

"We had our back against the wall and we had to play good," he said. "We've been playing the same way since then - so probably a turning point for us."

On Monday night the Spurs will try to dispatch the Trail Blazers in four games - and hopefully get some rest before the conference finals against the winner of the other semifinal between Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers.

"This is as well as I've seen them play all season," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "By Game 7 against Dallas, they came out of the gate and they haven't stopped since then."

No team has ever lost a seven-game NBA playoff series after going up 3-0.

The Blazers were the last team to take a series to seven games after dropping the first three. Portland rebounded in the first round against Dallas in 2003 but ultimately lost the first-round series' deciding game.

Parker scored 29 points in San Antonio's 118-103 Game 3 victory on Saturday night. The Spurs had routed the Blazers 116-92 in the series opener after their grueling series against the Mavericks, then built a 20-point lead and won Game 2, 114-97.

Parker has scored 29 or more points in three of his last four playoff games. He had 20 points in the first half alone in Game 3 against Portland. In the 119-96 Game 7 victory over the Mavericks, he poured in 32.

The Spurs have managed to slow down Portland All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, who averaged 29.8 points in the first round against the Houston Rockets.

The Blazers have been hurt by the loss of backup point guard Mo Williams to a groin injury. Williams has provided both energy and points off the bench all season in relief of Damian Lillard.

His absence was noticeable in Saturday night's loss, with Portland getting just six points from its bench.

"Monday is a new game, and we are confident we are capable of winning," Lillard said. "It is also about our pride. We do not want to come out here and get swept. We still believe we can win a game - we have to come out here and play like it."

Portland advanced to the second round for the first time in 14 years by defeating the Rockets in six games, clinching the series with Lillard's amazing 3-pointer at the buzzer at home for a 99-98 victory in the deciding game.

The Spurs have a 3-2 series advantage over Portland in the playoffs, sweeping the previous meeting in the 1999 conference finals. The teams split the regular-season series 2-2.

"We'd love to close this thing out," San Antonio's Tim Duncan said. "We've had pretty decent control of it throughout and we want to finish it the right way and get some rest."

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2014 Playoffs: Trail Blazers Vs. Spurs Preview - Game 4

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Turns out a snake in their locker room was the least of the Trail Blazers' problems.

Portland limped home down 2-0 in the Western Conference semifinals with the Spurs, and while their digs may be snake-free, the Blazers still have to figure out how to stop San Antonio when the teams meet again Saturday night at the Moda Center.

Portland coach Terry Stotts summed it up during a timeout in Game 2, when he told the team: "We don't have a chance if we don't rebound and we don't defend."

Only 16 teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a playoff series, most recently the Memphis Grizzlies against the Los Angeles Clippers last season.

The only time Portland has rebounded after a two-loss series start was the in 1977 finals against Philadelphia - which remains the team's lone NBA championship.

The Spurs have a 3-2 advantage over Portland in the playoffs, sweeping the last meeting in the 1999 conference finals. The teams split the regular-season series 2-2.

San Antonio has dominated this one so far. On Thursday night, the Spurs built a 20-point lead and won 114-97. Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points, and Tony Parker had 16 points and 10 assists, leading a total of seven Spurs who scored in double figures.

The Blazers' night got off to a strange start when reserve forward Thomas Robinson spied a snake in the locker room at AT&amp;T Center.

Because the snake hissed, the team at first thought it was a rattlesnake, but it later turned out it was not venomous. Needless to say, the snake sighting set the tone for the night and the Blazers played timidly throughout the loss.

LaMarcus Aldridge, who averaged 29.8 points in Portland's first-round series against the Houston Rockets, scored 16 points, up against unrelenting defense from Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter.

"We know that we haven't played our best basketball, so now we have to," Aldridge said. "Going home, every guy has to play better, starting with me, and I think every guy will."

Nicolas Batum led the Blazers with 21 points and Damian Lillard had 19 in the loss.

The Blazers were hurt when guard Mo Williams was pulled from the game because of a groin injury. Williams has consistently brought spark and leadership off the bench the whole season, and has capably filled in while Damian Lillard rests.

Williams played just 9 minutes in Game 2, and the Spurs' backups outscored Portland's 50-19.

Stotts told reporters on Friday that he anticipates that Williams will miss Game 3, so Earl Watson and Will Barton will help spell Lillard.

The Spurs routed the Blazers 116-92 in the series opener after a hard-fought seven-game series against the Dallas Mavericks.

"We did our part and won both games at home of this series, but the series starts when you win one on the road and we know it is one of the toughest arenas to play in," Parker said. "They play really well at home and they have a great crowd, so it is going to be about how we handle these next two games. We need to play with the same energy, take care of the ball, especially on the road, and play the same defense."

Portland advanced to the second round for the first time since 2000 by defeating the Rockets in six games, clinching the series with Lillard's amazing 3-pointer at the buzzer at home for a 99-98 victory in the deciding game.

"I think we have a bunch of competitors. They want to win. They know we can play better," Stotts said. "The fact that we kept coming back in the second half - I am not worried about that part. Certainly frustrating to lose and to get blown out in Game 1 and not quite have enough in Game 2. I know we will be ready in Game 3."

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2014 Playoffs: Trail Blazers Vs. Spurs Preview - Game 3

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Rockets reached back into their history to stave off elimination in their first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Houston earned the nickname "Clutch City" back in the mid-1990s when the team won back-to-back NBA championships. The Rockets brought the moniker back for Game 5 against the Blazers with a pep talk from a star of that team and T-shirts for their fans.

Now Houston will see if this team has that historic resilience as the series moves back to Portland for Game 6 on Friday night.

The Rockets are still down 3-2. So, lose and their summer starts Saturday.

"I don't want to go on vacation," Dwight Howard said. "I want to win. I want to give everything I've got. Every night, put my heart into it and sacrifice my body and do whatever I can to help this team win. It's not going to be easy."

After losing the opening two games in Houston, then claiming one of a pair in Portland, the Rockets rallied for a 108-98 victory on Wednesday night to narrow Portland's advantage in the series. Howard had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Jeremy Lin redeemed himself from a poor performance in Game 4 with 21 points off the bench.

The Rockets limited All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge to eight points after he averaged 35.3 points in the first four games. Wesley Matthews led the Blazers with 27 points and Damian Lillard added 26.

Aldridge said Houston wasn't doing anything differently.

"No, that was just how the game went," he said afterward. "The ball didn't come to me as much tonight. Our guys were making shots and we were playing off them and that's how the game went. It wasn't about how Dwight (Howard) guarded me or anything like that."

The Rockets were simply determined playing in front of a crowd wearing red Clutch City shirts. Former guard Mario Elie gave the team some impassioned words of encouragement during practice a day earlier.

Elie, affectionately nicknamed Junkyard Dog for his tenacity, was known for clutch 3-pointers, including one that helped advance the Rockets out of a second-round playoff series against Phoenix in 1995. Houston, down 3-1 in the series against the Suns, went on to win its second straight NBA title.

Wednesday night's victory gave the Rockets confidence that it could happen again.

"We're not hanging our heads at all. We believe in each other and in that entire locker room nobody thinks this series is over," Rockets forward Chandler Parsons said. "We have a chance to do something special here and we've got to continue to do that and take it one game at a time."

Only eight NBA teams - including the '95 Rockets - have rebounded from a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series to advance. The last was the Suns, who came back to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in a first-round series in 2006.

Portland is making its first playoff appearance since 2011. Aldridge helped the Blazers steal the first two games in Houston, scoring 46 points in a 122-120 overtime Game 1 win, then 43 in a 112-105 victory.

The Rockets claimed the first of two in Portland, 121-116 in overtime, led by James Harden with 37 points. The series' third OT game ended in a 123-120 Blazers win.

The Blazers have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for their last six trips. The team hasn't advanced since 2000, when Portland made it to the Western Conference finals, losing in seven games to the Lakers.

Blazers center Robin Lopez doesn't believe the Blazers have lost their edge with the Game 5 loss.

"I think we may have underestimated how desperate they were going to come out," he said. "I'm excited for Game 6 and I know that they will come out with a greater level of intensity and confidence and we will have to try and match it, overcome it."

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2014 Playoffs: Trail Blazers Vs. Rockets Preview - Game 6

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Houston's James Harden says the pressure has shifted to the Trail Blazers in their first-round playoff series. Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge respectfully disagrees.

Portland won the first two games in Houston before the Rockets won the third, 121-116 in overtime on Friday night at the Moda Center. Game 4 is Sunday night.

"We're still in control, the pressure is still on them," said Aldridge, who had more than 40 points in each of the first two games before the Rockets held him to 23. "They lost two at home so they're trying to come here and they have to take two. They came out and played as they should, they played like they were desperate and needed a win, like they didn't want their season to end."

Harden had a career playoff-high 37 points on 13-of-35 shooting in Friday's game, overcoming some of the offensive struggles that had him shooting 14 of 47 in the first two. He effectively combined on the pick-and-roll with Dwight Howard, who had 24 points and 14 rebounds.

"The pressure is on them," Harden maintained. "Sunday is going to be a great game and we have to do a great job of being ready, being focused. We have to quiet runs to a minimum and just be out there for four quarters. The hustle plays, the loose balls, we have to get all of those."

Game 3 had an unlikely hero in Troy Daniels, who spent time in the D-League this season and only made his NBA debut on March. 5. Daniels drained a 3-pointer with 11.9 seconds to go in OT that proved to be the winner. He finished with nine points, all 3s.

"I was ready. My teammates and coaches said just to be ready to shoot that shot and that's what I did," Daniels said. "That's my job."

Only three teams have come back to win after losing the first two games of a seven-game series at home: The last was the 2004-05 Mavericks, who came back against the Rockets.

No team has ever come back from 0-3, which made the Rockets' victory crucial.

The Blazers seemed unfazed by the loss, still brimming with confidence over their 2-1 advantage.

"It would be a problem if we lost the game because of effort or because we weren't focused on taking care of business, but we were," said point guard Damian Lillard, who led the Blazers with 30 points. "It's the playoffs and nobody said we were going to come out and sweep them. We're lucky we were able to win two games in Houston and be in the position we're in right now."

The Blazers hadn't opened a playoff series 2-0 since 1977, when they jumped on the Lakers en route to the Western Conference title. Portland went on to beat Philadelphia for its lone NBA championship.

The Blazers returned to the playoffs this season after a two-year drought. They haven't advanced out of the first round since the postseason in 2000.

Aldridge opened Portland's return with a franchise postseason-best 46 points in the Blazers' 122-120 overtime victory in Game 1, then followed it up with 43 points in the 112-105 win on Wednesday night.

Houston coach Kevin McHale addressed Portland's All-Star forward by tinkering with his lineup, starting Omer Asik in place of Terrence Jones. Asik and Dwight Howard were able to keep Aldridge off balance for much of Game 3.

McHale also found success with a small lineup of Harden, Daniels Jeremy Lin and Pat Beverley with Howard.

"For us to win this series we have to stay composed," Howard said. "You can't relax against this team You have to attack their bigs, attack their smalls and put them on their heels. That's the only way we're going to win this series."

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2014 Playoffs: Trail Blazers Vs. Rockets Preview - Game 4

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Houston has a LaMarcus Aldridge problem.

The Trail Blazers' All-Star forward has been dominating with more than 40 points in each of the opening two playoff games with the Rockets in Houston.

Portland is up 2-0 as the series moves to Rip City on Friday night, giving the Rockets little time to figure out how to defend Aldridge.

He opened the playoffs with a franchise postseason-best 46 points in the Blazers' 122-120 overtime victory, then followed it up with 43 points in the 112-105 win on Wednesday night.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale summed it up best when he said: "So far, he's had a hell of a series."

Aldridge found success in the paint in the opener so the Rockets adjusted - but so did Aldridge, who went outside to pepper Houston with midrange jumpers. Thirteen of his 18 field goals came from 10 feet out or more.

"He's making tough shots, he's getting to the foul line. He's offensive rebounding. He's doing the whole package and it's tough for us," said Houston guard James Harden. "We gotta figure something out real soon. In game three, it is either we win or it's over."

Aldridge is the first player to score 43 or more points in consecutive playoff games since Tracy McGrady in 2003, and the first to score at least 40 in back-to-back postseason games since LeBron James in 2009.

It almost goes without saying that Aldridge is the first Blazer with at least 40 points in back-to-back playoff games.

"You can tell just by his approach how he's really dialed in and he's playing big. He's really taken it upon himself to do all these things," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said Thursday. "Give him all the credit. He's been wanting this moment for a long time and he's rising to the challenge."

Aldridge acknowledged the team for his success.

"This team in general just believes in me so much and they ride the wave so well," he said. "When I'm going one through 15, they are all cheering and telling me to shoot it. If I pass up a shot, they're all mad at me and I think having 15 guys having your back like that is great."

Aldridge's play has put Portland in charge as the team returns home. The Blazers haven't opened a playoff series with two straight wins since 2000, when they went up 3-0 on Utah in the Western Conference semifinals.

Portland ranked seventh in the league during the regular season with just 10 losses at home.

Only three teams have come back to win after losing the first two games of a seven-game series at home: The last was the 2004-05 Mavericks, who came back against the Rockets. Houston is 0-7 overall when falling behind 0-2 in the first round since the 1983-84 expansion.

Dwight Howard said it's no time to panic.

"We've played against Portland in the regular season and we were successful. We just got to play basketball. We can't look back. We have to stay positive," he said. "They (Portland) won two games but it's the first to four and we can't let our heads down. We dug a hole but we can always get out of it."

Howard had 32 points and 14 rebounds in Wednesday's loss, while Harden had 18 points.

Harden was the league's top shooting guard in the regular season, but he's 14 of 47 from the field in the playoffs for his worst two-game stretch of the season.

Part of that is due to Portland's Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum taking turns at shutting him down.

"We've done a good job guarding without fouling and one thing about playoff basketball is that everybody has the every possession mentality," Stotts said. "We didn't fall asleep on him and I don't think he got a lot of easy looks and every great player in this league, you just want to make them work and I think Nick and Wes in particular really have made him work."

For his part, Harden isn't really concerned about a slump. He's more focused on the Blazers - and stopping Aldridge.

"I'm not worried about my offense, I'm worried about our defense, our defense as a team. When we get stops and get out in transition everybody feels good about themselves and that's when the assists flow in and things start going well," he said. "If we can't get stops it makes it more difficult. They are a very good team."

2014-playoffs-trail-blazers-vs-rockets-preview-game-3

2014 Playoffs: Trail Blazers Vs. Rockets Preview - Game 3

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