The Houston Rockets (49-28) had five players score double figures, handing the Portland Trail Blazers (48-28) a 102-88 loss at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Sunday night.
Although Portland fell to fifth place in the Western Conference with the loss, due to a victory by the Dallas Mavericks over the Phoenix Suns earlier in the day the Trail Blazers became the fifth team Western Conference team to clinch a playoff spot. Portland reaches the postseason for the first time since the 2002-2003 season.
LaMarcus Aldridge, the hero of Friday’s victory in Oklahoma City to start this road trip, scored Portland’s first five points of Sunday’s game, but couldn’t manage a basket in the first quarter after the 9:07 mark. Travis Outlaw nailed a three-pointer with 1:28 remaining in the opening period, cutting Houston’s lead to 25-20. The Rockets led 31-25 after one quarter.
Brandon Roy finished the opening period with seven points, helping the Trail Blazer’s to shoot 56 percent from the field, but Portland turned the ball over five times in the first fifteen minutes.
The Trail Blazers went dry for a spell in the second quarter, allowing Houston to build on their lead. Sergio Rodriquez scored a basket in the lane with 6:47 remaining in the opening half, making the score 44-39 in favor of the home team, but Portland would not get another basket until an Aldridge lay-up with 3:03 to play in the second quarter. By that time the Rockets had extended their advantage to 52-41. The Trail Blazers trailed 54-43 at the break.
Portland’s bigs got into foul trouble in the first half, with Joel Przybilla picking up two quick fouls to start the second quarter finish the opening half with three fouls, and Greg Oden playing only three minutes in the first half due to two personal fouls in the first quarter.
The Trail Blazers mounted a small comeback in the third quarter. Aldridge cut Houston’s edge to 65-60 on two made free throws with 3:17 remaining in the second to last quarter of the night. Portland outscored the Rockets 21-18 in the third quarter, getting eight in the period from Roy, entering the fourth quarter behind 72-64.
Portland got some crucial baskets from their Spanish backcourt tandem early in the fourth quarter. Rodriquez hit a ten-footer with 11:11 left in the game, pulling the Trail Blazers to within 72-68. Rudy Fernandez scored a driving lay-up a minute later getting Portland to within their closest at 74-70. Houston followed Fernandez’s bucket with three straight baskets, two from former Trail Blazer Von Wafer, making the score 80-70 with 8:29 to play on the night.
Houston point guard, and former University of Oregon star, Aaron Brooks hit a 22-foot three-pointer with 1:19 remaining in the game giving the Rockets a 98-84 lead, and putting the game out of reach for the visiting team.
Roy and Aldridge led Portland, scoring 22 points apiece on the night. Outlaw was the only other Trail Blazer to reach double figures in the scoring column, collecting 15 points shooting 7-of-13 on the night.
Portland continues their road swing Tuesday April 7th in Memphis against the Grizzlies.
