HOUSTON – Chris Paul’s game-winning layup with less than a second to play thwarted Portland’s shocking comeback bid, as Houston scored a 96-94 win in front of 18,055 at Toyota Center. After Head Coach Terry Stotts emptied his bench with minutes to play, the Trail Blazers reeled off an improbable 17-0 run, capped by Pat Connaughton’s driving layup, to tie the game at 94 with six seconds remaining.
Houston led by as many as 24 points before Portland nearly stole a win against the team with the NBA’s best record.
The Trail Blazers drop to 48-31 this season, leading the Utah Jazz (45-33) by 2.