By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Houston Rockets are playing their best basketball of the year after racking up its ninth straight win at the expense of the Portland Trailblazers, 110-92, in the ongoing NBA regular season on March 26, 2024.
Jalen Green’s phenomenal streak of offensive efficiency is still on full display after lifting the Rockets with 27 big points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block.
After a slow start for Houston which allowed Portland to take the early lead of the game, it was Green’s scoring outburst that helped them pull away in the second half.
The Trailblazers were still playing to their game plan as they locked Houston’s perimeter when head coach Chauncey Billups decided to deploy a zone defense.
With the different looks Portland was giving Houston, the Rockets had a hard time breaking the puzzle until Green stepped up and decided to attack their paint to collapse their defensive wall.
The Rockets then began to smoke Portland in the whole second half after they solved the Trailblazers’ defensive patterns with the help of head coach Ime Udoka’s adjustments.
Houston ballooned its advantage to double digits in the third quarter after outscoring the Trailblazers, 33-20, to enter the final frame with a newfound groove.
The Rockets didn’t settle for less in the fourth as Fred Vanvleet sparked another Houston offensive avalanche to go home with their ninth consecutive victory.
Jock Landale became one of the unsung heroes for the Rockets after putting up 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and a block.
Meanwhile, Vanvleet survived a flat start and recovered in the second half to produce 15 markers, four dimes, three boards, two steals, and a block.
The Rockets will look to extend its impressive winning streak to 10 straight games on March 28, 2024, as they take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
