Trail Blazers Unable to Match the Rockets Offense
Trail Blazers lose a shootout to the Rockets 130-114
For the second time in ten days, the Portland Trail Blazers couldn’t keep up with the Houston Rockets’ offense. The last time Portland faced off against Houston on November 17th, it was close at halftime before Houston pulled away for a comfortable victory. Despite the change of location, tonight played out in eerily similar fashion.
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The Rockets held just a three point advantage after the first half. Ultimately, it turned into a fairly easy victory for Houston.
C.J. McCollum led the way with 28 points, 7 assists while making four threes. Damian Lillard added 27 points, 5 assists, but turned the ball over 7 times. Portland played well on offense in general, shooting 48% from the field and 36% from deep. Again, it came down to a discouraging defensive effort.
The Rockets, obviously led by James Harden and his beard, are known for their three point shooting and fast paced offense. Unfortunately, 19 games into this season, the Trail Blazers are becoming known for their poor defense.
Harden had a typical game against the Trail Blazers: 38 points and 10 assists. The real issue tonight for Portland was Houston’s role players. Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon shot a combined 10-14 from three point range. Clint Capela went 9-12 shooting, many of which were wide open dunks.
Luckily, the Trail Blazers have a couple days off to prepare for the Indiana Pacers. It might be time for Terry Stotts to alter his very conservative defensive scheme. It appears as though the league has figured out how to dominate Portland’s defense.
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