Report Card: Trail Blazers fall to the Rockets

The Trail Blazers fall to the Rockets 119-105 in Portland

Starters

Damian Lillard – 23 PTS / 6 REB / 7 AST

Lillard came crashing back down to Earth on Thursday night. Trevor Ariza was tasked with defending the Portland star, and he proved to be a nightmare. Lillard’s 6-20 night was made slightly better by his ability to get the the charity stripe (8-8 FT). Ariza racked up four fouls fairly early, but in the fourth Lillard elected to try to keep shooting from deep instead of getting to the basket. This made the defensive assignment much easier for the long armed defender. It was bound to happen, but his thirty plus points streak is over. It should go to show you how far he has come when a 23 point night is considered a disappointment. Grade: B-

C.J. McCollum – 20 PTS / 5 REB / 4 AST

The night didn’t go much better for McCollum either. He had slightly more success shooting from the field than Lillard (9-19), but it still isn’t what we’ve come to expect from him. The Rockets smothering defense (in the second half) forced the ball into McCollum’s hands for much of the second half and the response was less than optimal. The former Lehigh guard coughed up some costly turnovers late in the fourth quarter (4 TO’s total). McCollum wasn’t totally responsible for James Harden‘s 46 point night, but he certainly didn’t help when he was matched up on him. The quicker Portland puts this one behind them the better. Grade: B-

Al-Farouq Aminu – 13 PTS / 6 REB / 2 AST

Aminu started the night with some impressive three point shooting (3-7 from three on the night). After his shooting faded, so did the rest of his offense. Aminu helped keep Harden in check for most of the first half, but rarely found himself across from him in the second half. With McCollum/Lillard frustrated, the ball ended up in Aminu’s hands at certain points in the fourth quarter, and the results weren’t pretty (3 TO’s including an ugly double dribble call). Grade: C

Noah Vonleh – 2 PTS / 2 REB / 0 AST

Vonleh played 13 minutes tonight, but it was still good enough for him to post the only positive +/- amongst the starters (mainly due to the fact he was on the court during Portland’s opening run). The young big man was on the opposite end of some big time highlights, as Dwight Howard destroyed him with a block early in the first quarter. The learning curve continues for the 20 year old. Grade: D

Mason Plumlee – 10 PTS / 4 REB / 2 AST

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Every point of Plumlee’s night seemed to come on the end of a highlight play. He held his own defensively for most of the first half, but eventually Howard’s imposing play won out. Of all the starters, Plumlee probably performed the best (compared to his own expectations). He even showcased a little mid range shooting stroke early in the game, as he caught the Houston defense out of position. If he could add a regular 15 foot jump shot to his creative passing, he would be onto something big. Grade: B

Sixth Man of the Game

Ed Davis – 6 PTS / 12 REB / 1 AST

Davis had a solid night rebounding, reaching double digits for the first time since he’d last played Houston. There is nothing flashy about what Davis does for the Trail Blazers, but it is often the most crucial thing for the bench’s success. He knows the limits of his game and he operates masterful inside of those boundaries. Grade: B+

Report Card: Trail Blazers Collapse vs Rockets

By Steven Dewald | Feb 26, 2016

The Trail Blazers fall to the Rockets 119-105 in Portland