Trail Blazers-Rockets Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Feb 07 2013 6:51PM

One night after putting on a remarkable shooting display, the Houston Rockets came up short against the defending champions their last time out.

Getting back on track could prove difficult against a Portland Trail Blazers team that's had their number thus far.

The Rockets return home looking to avoid a third consecutive loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday night.

While Houston (27-24) tied an NBA record with 23 3-pointers and posted its most points in 18 seasons Tuesday in a 140-109 rout of Golden State, it got all it could handle at Miami on Wednesday. James Harden had 36 points, a career-high 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Rockets, who lost 114-108 after falling behind by as many as 17 in the third quarter.

"We had a tough run scoring the basketball," Harden said. "We even got stops, but the big plays where we needed to make a play, they got stops - so that was the difference in the ballgame."

Houston also had its hands full in two overtime defeats to the Blazers, 95-85 at home Nov. 3 and 119-117 in Portland on Nov. 16.

Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge and star rookie Damian Lillard averaged 28.0 and 23.5 points in those victories, while Nicolas Batum scored a career-high 35 in the second meeting.

"I think we are a really confident team in close games because we've been in that situation so many times and we've been successful," Lillard said despite losing 105-99 at Dallas on Wednesday. "So, anytime it's a close game and it comes down to needing a stop or a big basket, we have a confident team and we've been successful in those situations."

The Blazers (25-24) haven't taken three straight from the Rockets in the same season since 2002-03. They had dropped 12 of 13 in Houston before winning two of the last three.

After kicking off its six-game road trip Monday with a 100-98 win over Minnesota, Portland committed a season-low six turnovers but was outscored 22-9 in transition by the Mavericks.

"I think we definitely had a chance to win," said Aldridge, who had 27 points and 10 rebounds for his season-high sixth consecutive double-double. "We still have to do better."

Portland, which allowed Dallas to shoot 10 of 20 from 3-point range, limited the Rockets to a season-worst 19.2 percent in the first meeting. Houston has gone 23-9 when shooting at least 34.4 percent from long distance.

While much has been made about Harden's 25.8 points per game - good for fifth in the NBA - he's averaging 8.3 assists in three games this month.

"I try to get my teammates open shots (early in the game) so the defense kind of opens up a little bit," he said. "I'm the main option. My confidence has to be up to show my teammates that we can come out here and win these games."

The Rockets, scoring 105.8 points per game to rank second in the league, have won three straight and 16 of 21 at home while averaging 112.9.

Batum, who continues to play through pain in his right wrist, is averaging 8.0 points over his last six games - 7.5 less than his season mark.

Harden scores 35, Rockets beat Blazers 118-103

By CHRIS DUNCAN
Posted Feb 08 2013 11:52PM

HOUSTON (AP) James Harden put on an All-Star performance just before the real thing comes to Houston.

Harden had 35 points and 11 assists, Chandler Parsons scored 20 and the Rockets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-103 on Friday night.

Harden went 13 for 16 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range, a near-perfect night in the last game at the Toyota Center before it plays host to the NBA's All-Star weekend. Acquired by Houston in a stunning trade with Oklahoma City just before the season, Harden was chosen as a reserve for the West squad, making his first All-Star team.

"I'm just focused on rallying these guys together, every single game," Harden said. "If I'm leading and showing my work ethic, they'll follow."

LaMarcus Aldridge, another All-Star reserve for the West, scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Portland. The Blazers had won the previous two meetings this season in overtime, rallying from double-digit deficits in both.

Not this time. Houston preserved a comfortable lead for most of the second half, and Harden finished off Portland with a fadeaway jumper from the wing with just under 4 minutes remaining.

"Tonight was one of those where it's just like he makes play after play after play," Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin said, "and then you look up and you realize, `Oh, he had a great game.' You kind of take it for granted sometimes."

Nicolas Batum scored 24 points and Damian Lillard had 18 for the Blazers, who never slowed down the Rockets' high-powered offense. Houston shot a season-high 59.5 percent (47 of 79) from the field and is averaging 118.4 points in its last seven games.

"Houston is shooting the ball well these days," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "They were shooting the ball well inside, outside and mid-range, and were getting to the rim. We didn't have any answers for them defensively."

Early on, Houston repeatedly found openings inside and hit 12 of its first 15 shots. When Portland crowded the lane, the Rockets passed outside for open 3s, and they hit five of their first seven attempts. They finished with 27 assists.

"We can hurt you in so many different ways," said Parsons, who will represent Houston in the Rising Stars Challenge next weekend.

Aldridge and J.J. Hickson, meanwhile, got easy baskets inside and made nine of their first 14 shots to keep Portland close.

The Blazers played better defense at the start of the second quarter to pull within one. Houston got rolling again, and Parsons finished a quick 10-0 burst to put the Rockets up 47-36 with 6:31 left in the first half.

Aldridge continued to carry Portland, dominating whichever Houston big man tried to front him.

"Monster. Beast," Harden said. "He's an All-Star. He did his job."

Aldridge scored 19 in the first half, but the Rockets shot 65 percent (24 of 37), a season best for a half, and led 62-52 at the break.

The Rockets continued to find open paths to the basket in the third quarter and stretched the lead to 15 - matching their largest lead when the teams played in Portland in November.

Houston didn't let up in this one. Patrick Patterson slammed home a rebound and Harden sank another 3 to keep the Rockets comfortably ahead as the third quarter wound down. Harden was 11 for 12 from the field - with three 3-pointers and 11 rebounds through three quarters.

Parsons started the fourth quarter by swishing a 3 from the corner, and backup point guard Patrick Beverley was fouled on a breakaway layup after a steal and converted both free throws for a 100-80 Houston lead.

Harden capped his night with a fadeaway jumper over Lillard with 3:55 left to put the Rockets up 112-93. Harden was coming off a 36-point night in Miami and now has at least a double-double in three of his last four games, including a triple-double.

"He's making shots and he's making plays," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "You look at a guy with 35 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and (he) threw a steal in there. It was really impressive."

NOTES: Aldridge has seven consecutive double-doubles. ... Rockets point guard Toney Douglas limped off the floor with a left hip injury and did not return. ... Retired C Yao Ming sat courtside with his agent, John Huizinga. Yao, an eight-time All-Star with Houston, retired in July 2011. ... Rockets rookie Royce White had his physical and is expected to report to the team's development league affiliate on Monday. White has not played this season as he and the Rockets negotiated an agreement to help him cope with his anxiety disorder and balance the demands of the NBA schedule.

Notebook: Rockets 118, Trail Blazers 103

Matt Miller, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:33 PM - Updated Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:33 PM

THE FACTS: This time, a hot-shooting James Harden and the Houston Rockets were determined to avoid squandering another double-digit lead over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Harden finished with 35 points on 13-for-16 shooting, 11 assists and seven rebounds to lead Houston to a 118-103 victory over the Blazers on Friday at Toyota Center. Chandler Parsons scored 20 points and collected two steals, and Patrick Patterson added 16 points and six boards for the Rockets (28-24), who have won six of their last eight games overall and four straight at home.

LaMarcus Aldridge paced Portland (25-25), which has lost three of its last five contests overall and six of seven on the road, with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Nicolas Batum chipped in with 24 points on 7-for-12 shooting, while Damian Lillard poured in 18 points and dished out six assists as the Blazers blew an opportunity to record three straight victories over the Rockets in the same season since 2002-03.

QUOTABLE: "That's as efficient a night as you'll see."
-- Portland coach Terry Stotts on Harden, who has scored 215 points on only 112 field-goal attempts over his last eight outings.

THE STAT: Portland overcame a deficit of at least 12 points in its first two meetings with Houston this season, but the Rockets pounced on the Blazers early and never trailed in Friday's matchup. Houston recorded only its second wire-to-wire win of the season.

TURNING POINT: Houston scored on eight of nine possessions while limiting Portland to 2-for-7 shooting and two turnovers during a 15-5 Rockets run that extended their 62-57 lead to a 77-62 edge. The Blazers' deficit never dipped below double digits after that spurt.

QUOTABLE II: "It was huge. We owed them a couple. We let two slip away in overtime, and going into All-Star break we need all these wins against teams that are right in the [playoff] hunt with us."
-- Chandler Parsons

HOT: Harden worked his way to the rim repeatedly over the first two periods, pouring in 20 points on a perfect 8-for-8 effort from the field before halftime. Harden's ability to attract so much attention from Blazer defenders, coupled with some crisp ball movement and excellent floor spacing, helped Houston post an eye-popping effective field-goal percentage of 75.7 during the first half.

NOT: After missing 17 of their final 19 3-point attempts in Wednesday's loss at Dallas, the Blazers' perimeter shooting slump continued in Houston. Portland has connected on only 10 of its last 45 attempts (22.2 percent) from behind the arc after Friday's 8-for-26 performance.

GOOD MOVE: The Rockets were content with allowing Aldridge and Lillard to wreak havoc on the offensive end, as they shifted their focus to limiting the production of Portland's role players. Although Aldridge terrorized Houston for the third time this season, the Blazers were unable to generate the effective inside-out game that put them over the top in their previous two games against the Rockets.

BAD MOVE: Portland did not take the aggressive defensive approach needed to disrupt the Rockets' offensive rhythm. The lack of pressure the Blazers applied on Houston's ball-handlers, along with the inability to cut off passing lanes and turn risky decisions into turnovers, allowed Harden and the Rockets to operate freely.

NOTABLE: Lillard is the first player in NBA history to score at least 900 points and bury at least 100 3-point attempts in the first 50 games of his career. ... Houston guard Toney Douglas left the game in the first quarter and did not return after suffering a left hip pointer when he was inadvertently elbowed by Wesley Matthews. The team labeled his status as day-to-day. ... Portland forward Nicolas Batum wore a new black brace on his sore right wrist, which has bothered him since he injured it during a Jan. 19 practice. ... Former Rocket center Yao Ming watched from a courtside seat. .... Houston netted 62 points on a season-high 64.9 percent shooting in the first half to record its 21st 60-point half of the season. Houston also shot a season-best 59.5 percent for the game. ... Aldridge, who set a career high with his seventh consecutive double-double Friday, has totaled 87 points and 28 rebounds in three matchups with the Rockets this season. He has also reached 20 points in each of his last 10 visits to Toyota Center. ... Houston improved to 12-3 this season when Harden scores at least 30 points and 13-3 when they make at least 40.0 percent of their 3-point attempts. ... The Rockets have scored at least 107 points in 15 of their last 20 home tilts, scoring an average of 114.8 during this stretch. ... Houston center Omer Asik blocked a season-high four shots.

UP NEXT: For the Blazers: Sunday @ Orlando, Tuesday @ Miami, Wednesday @ New Orleans. For the Rockets: Sunday @ Sacramento, Tuesday @ Golden State, Wednesday @ L.A. Clippers.

• Trail Blazers: Pavlovic, Williams
• Rockets: Jones, White

• Trail Blazers: --
• Rockets: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #56 Mark Ayotte, #65 Sean Wright
• Attendance: 15655
• Duration: 2:03