The Portland Trail Blazers, the youngest team in the National Basketball Association, looked like a weary bunch in the second half Monday night against Houston.
Playing their third game on a four-game road trip, the Blazers hung tough with rising power Houston. But a 10-1 Rockets run at the start of the fourth quarter closed the deal. For Houston, it was a seventh straight victory and a win that put them three full games ahead of Portland in the race for one of the final Western Conference playoff positions.
Since their 13-game winning streak was snapped in Utah, the Blazers have gone just 10-11. Where has the magic gone? The last two games against Houston offer some insights.
First, Portland lacks a consistent inside scoring threat. A lot of NBA games are won by dominating the space under the basket. In that kind of game, Portland has just one card -- LaMarcus Aldridge -- to play.
Second, we've reached the portion of the season where experience and execution begin to trump energy. Come January, the veteran teams -- you know the names ... Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix -- shift into a higher gear.
On Jan. 25 in the Rose Garden and again in Houston Monday night, Portland started off in command against the Rockets. Superior speed and shooting put Portland on top early in both games.
Then Houston began dominating play around the basket. The 7-6 center Yao Ming used his long arms to intimidate shooters and deflect passes. Role players like Carl Landry and Luis Scola collected the loose balls and rebounds that were going to Travis Outlaw and Channing Frye in December.
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1 comment:
Well said.
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