Rockets Struggle From Distance in 107-95 Loss to Blazers
Same Oregon Story. Missing Range. Third Quarter Woes.
It was the same old story as when these teams first met this season, back in Oregon in late October. The Rockets lost to the Blazers by double-digits, 107-95, on Saturday night, with Anfernee Simons once again leading Portland in scoring with 32 points. Damian Lillard added 25 points and 10 assists, as Houston’s backcourt was outplayed on Saturday night. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. combined for only 28 points, as the Rockets lost their second straight contest after winning the first two games to start this season’s longest home-stand. Green led the Rockets with 15 points, no one else managed to reach the 15-point mark on Houston’s squad.
This was the Rockets worst three-point shooting performance of the entire season thus far. Houston was 3-for-29 beyond the arc, good for a horrible 10.3%. In this day-and-age where the long range shot rules the NBA, it’s tough to win in this league when the shots from distance aren’t falling. After a horrible third quarter, the Rockets mounted somewhat of a comeback in the fourth, but it was too little too late, as they never really threatened the Blazers in the final period.
Houston managed only 14 points in the third period, as Portland doubled up the Rockets by scoring 28 points in the quarter. Houston only trailed by six points at halftime, but after a dismal third period, the Rockets had dug themselves too deep a hole. Houston trailed by 20 entering the final quarter, and just match the Blazers intensity throughout the game on Saturday night. Up next, the Rockets will aim to avoid reliving the story of another loss as they host the San Antonio Spurs, in what will be a battle of last place teams in the Western Conference.