The Blazers and Rockets have had this game circled on their calendars since the end of the first round of the playoffs last year. It’s clear that Houston still hasn’t forgotten, as they booed Damian Lillard when he entered the arena.

Robin Lopez was out for Portland for a fourth consecutive game and also LaMarcus Aldridge, who sat out due to an upper respiratory illness. Their absence made a huge impact on the game. After just the first half, the Blazers were trailing by 20 and in the second quarter alone, they were outscored, 36-20.

This lead was largely due to James Harden. He scored 31 points in 16 minutes off 10-of-17 shooting in the first half. He also might have had a little help from the refs, as he took 11 costless throws in that short span and made 10 of them. He finished with 44 points, two shy of his career high.

Besides James Harden’s great start, Portland had 11 turnovers that led to 19 points. Without All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, they can’t afford to make that many mistakes against an explosive team like Houston.

The second half was pretty much the same. All of the Rockets’ shots were falling, while the Blazers were taking ill-advised shots with very little going in. They put together several little runs, but each time Houston would answer and extend the lead back to around 20.

In the end, Houston completely dominated Portland in nearly every category, and without LaMarcus Aldridge on both ends of the floor, the Blazers didn’t prove to be much of an opponent.

The Blazers will come home after a 2-2 road trip to play the surging Oklahoma City Thunder, who may be missing Kevin Durant once again. This will be Portland’s seventh back-to-back this season and in the second game of the two, they are 5-1. Aldridge is questionable, but they need to get back on track to stay near the top in a very strong Western Conference.

Houston moves on to play at Memphis, a team which has lost three straight after winning six in a row. If Harden can play like he did today against the Blazers, the Rockets should be able to win and maybe slide into second in the West.

  Blazers Rockets
Points Lillard 18 Harden 44
Rebounds Kaman 6 Howard 13
Assists Lillard 3 Harden 7
Steals McCollum 3 2 tied with 5
Blocks Crabbe 2 3 tied with 1
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About the author
Newtons Fourth Law
Portland Trail Blazers writer.