Rockets struggle against Blazers, drop first game in bubble

Though the Trail Blazers are currently not in the playoff picture, and aren't necessarily in the same echelon as the Mavericks and Bucks, Portland would still prove a challenging task for the Rockets, with a lethal backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum set to duel against the Rockets' own Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

The challenge would prove too much for the Rockets, as they would go on to lose their first game in the Orlando bubble to the Trail Blazers by a score of 110-102.

It was a lot of the same for the modern small-ball Rockets -- forsaking rebounds and defensive size for shooters and high-octane offense. Through one quarter, it was pretty even score of 29-24 in favor of the Blazers. Harden had six through one, and Westbrook had five. Former Rocket Carmelo Anthony had seven points, scoring from three and on savvy post-ups down low.

Both teams would score 32 in the second quarter, closing the first half with a score of 61-56. It was much of the same in the second, with the Blazers outrebounding the Rockets and managing to hold the Rockets to a lower point total they were used to. Center Jusuf Nurkic had a near double-double in the first half, totaling nine rebounds to go along with ten points.

Things got dicey for the Rockets in the third quarter. Though the Rockets kept the game close, a few questionable calls pushed James Harden to five personal fouls midway through the third. One more would take him out for the rest of the game. Westbrook and the rest of the starters would be forced to carry the team for a good chunk of the third quarter with Harden out.

Despite Harden's foul troubles, the team kept the game within single digits heading to the fourth. After a few minutes of back-and-forth, Houston managed to tie the game late in the fourth. As they had done twice through the restart, the Rockets had clawed their way from a deficit to keep the game within reach heading late into the game.

This time, however, the Rockets would be unable to get key stops and score clutch buckets, allowing a three to Carmelo Anthony with less than a minute left to put the Blazers up five. A missed three on the other end and successful free throws from Damian Lillard would effectively seal the deal for Portland, handing Houston their first loss in the bubble.

With the loss, the Rockets drop to a record of 42-25, and come into a tie for the fourth seed in the west with the Utah Jazz. Houston's next game won't be any easier of an outing, with a duel with the first-seed Los Angeles Lakers on tap for Thursday at 8:00 PM CT.