Blazers Blast By Rockets, 104-85, As Early-Season Woes Continue
The Portland Trailblazers came into Toyota Center on Tuesday night and beat the Houston Rockets handily, by a score of 104-85, in an outcome that felt like the final score would differentiate by more than 30 points. The Rockets trailed by 15 at the half and were never really in the game. They seem to not care anymore, or maybe it’s the frustration of missed layup after missed layup countered by open layup after open layup for the other team. This Rockets team is still without Harden, Ennis, and other key pieces, but after six games into the season, its obvious changes are necessary for Houston, no matter who is on the court. The team as a whole looks like its sleepwalking through the season. The defense hasn’t gotten any better. Tonight the Blazers usual suspects, their “Big 3” of Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic, did the most damage. On the offensive end the Rockets have missed so many layups and easy shots that it seems like they a have a major lack of focus they’re dealing with as a group. Gary Clark was the lone bright spot for the Rockets, as he scored 11 points in 19 minutes and looks like he’s going to be a solid role player in the NBA, if not even better. Hopefully it has something to do with Harden’s absence, and the new pieces are still trying to get acquainted with a new team and a new system, but the squad can’t continue to play with this lack of focus, energy, and determinism on the court or they will find themselves out of the playoff hunt, sooner than later. Up next for the Rockets is their longest road trip of the season, a 5-game road trip that starts Friday night in Brooklyn and culminates November 10th in San Antonio. The Rockets will likely still be without their MVP, James Harden, for Friday’s matchup as he is eyeing Saturday in Chicago as a return date to the court. The Rockets will try and replicate the Astros’ road success this season, as they were much better on the road than at home. The Rockets lone win this season has come on the road in Los Angeles. When the team returns to Houston, hopefully they’ll have come up with a few answers to the multitude of problems that have plagued the team throughout the first 6 games of the season.