The Rockets got off to a strong start, built a double-digit lead that reached 14 and never trailed by more than a bucket. But in many ways, they seemed caught in the sort of game they had been losing.
The defense, effective early, became increasingly unable to get stops, with the Trail Blazers making 63.6 percent of their third quarter shot. The 3-point shooting was sporadic at best. The big men, with Nene already missing his fourth-consecutive game and to miss at least two more, were in foul trouble throughout the game before Tarik Black left with an abrasion on his right eye.