Rockets Lose 10th Straight, Fall to Blazers 104-92
One for the Road. Scoot Ball. Nowhere but Up.
Damian Lillard scored 20 points, and C.J. McCollum added 17 points, as the Blazers dealt the Rockets their 10th straight loss on Friday night. Kevin Porter Jr. aka “Scoot”, score 18 points to lead Houston. KPJ’s play is quietly improving from game to game. However on this night, Scoot had little help from his teammates. Jalen Green again struggled shooting the ball, scoring only 9 points. Jae’Sean Tate, by and far the most consistent Houston player all season, chipped in with 14 points and 6 boards. This was the first road win all year for Portland, as the Blazers took advantage of the youth and inexperience haunting this Rockets’ team at the moment. Houston will only gain more experience, and they won’t be throwing three teenagers on the floor forever… these are the growing pains. It’s part of the cycle of professional sports. After being a contending team for 8 straight seasons, the Rockets, including last season, are trying to make the long, slow, climb back to the top.
KPJ stated that Lillard was one of his idols growing up, and Dame said Scoot’s talent is “through the roof.” KPJ chipped in with 5 rebounds and assists apiece, and most importantly, committed only one turnover, a season-low for Scoot. Too bad the Rockets can’t get everyone firing on all cylinders in the same game. Houston will try to end the losing streak on Sunday, as they close out their three-game homestand against the Phoenix Suns.
After losing their tenth straight game, there’s no where to go but up for these Rockets. Sure, they might lose a few more games on this streak. But these guys are professionals, and sooner or later, the squad will squeak out a win. Houston continues to play hard, but struggles to play all four quarters. The Rockets need to learn how to close games if they want any chance against the defending Western Conference Champions on Sunday.