Rockets Drop Second Game Of West Coast Road Trip In Loss To Trail Blazers

The Houston Rockets fall to 1-5 on the season after a blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night.

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets dropped the second game of their west coast road trip Friday night. While playing the Portland Trail Blazers without the services of Damian Lillard, the Rockets sustained a 125-111 loss inside the Moda Center.

The Rockets found themselves down early following a slow start. Houston began the night shooting 4-of-11 from behind the arc, which resulted in the Rockets trailing the Trail Blazers by 18 points midway through the first half.  

In the absence of Lillard due to a right calf strain, the Rockets had no answer for Anfernee Simons. He scored 23 of his game-high 30 points during the first half, where he connected on seven out of his first 11 3-point field goal attempts.

Houston rallied at the start of the second half to cut their 69-58 halftime deficit down to five midway through the third quarter. But the Rockets could not maintain their offensive momentum entering the final period.

Eric Gordon led the Rockets in scoring with 18 points and five assists. Kevin Porter Jr. added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists in the loss. Jalen Green struggled on the night with 11 points while shooting 4-of-19 from the field.

Alperen Sengun returned to the lineup against the Trail Blazers after missing the previous two games due to an illness. He made his first start of the season and finished the game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Jusuf Nurkic finished the game with 27 points and 15 rebounds in a win over the Rockets.

Following the loss, the Rockets will continue their west coast road trip Sunday night against the 4-1 Phoenix Suns. Tip-off is slated for 8 pm CT inside the Footprint Center.

---

You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

Want the latest in news and insider information on the Houston Rockets? Click here

Follow Inside the Rockets on Facebook here

Follow Inside the Rockets on Twitter @InsideRocketsFN