Rockets vs. Trail Blazers Takeaways: Appalling Shooting, A Reserve Backcourt, Energy and Effort

After winning five consecutive home games, the Houston Rockets dropped their second contest inside the Toyota Center following a 107-97 loss to the Trail Blazers.

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets (9-20) dropped their second consecutive game during a 107-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers (17-13) Saturday night. Here are three takeaways from the Rockets' defeat inside the Toyota Center.

Terrible shooting:

The Rockets had an appalling offensive performance. 

The Trail Blazers played aggressively on the defensive end, and the officials made it difficult for the Rockets to match their intensity. Portland's defensive play did impact Houston's ability to put the ball in the basket. But on several occasions, the Rockets just missed shots. 

"During the first half, we were just missing shots," coach Stephen Silas said. "In the second half, we did not take good shots."

Houston had a solid offensive production during the first half. The Rockets entered halftime down 57-51. And the way the team closed the first 24 minutes, it appeared that the Rockets were poised to go on a run. 

But in the third quarter, Houston missed several baskets around the rim and open shots. Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. missed layup attempts, while Eric Gordon's and Kevin Porter Jr.'s shots from deep grazed the front iron. 

Portland was able to capitalize on their offensive struggles by outscoring the Rockets 28-14 during the period.

Houston never found their shooting from beyond the arc. They shot 10.3 percent on three-point field goal attempts. Silas credited their terrible night due to their lack of ball movement.

"You are going to have nights where you don't make shots," Silas said. But the ball movement has to be better."

The Rockets shot 26.7 percent in the third quarter while missing all four attempts from behind the arc.

A Reserve Backcourt with Daishen Nix and TyTy Washington Jr.:

A non-COVID illness forced the Rockets to take the court without Garrison Mathews. His absence led to Silas experimenting with different player combinations, which led to Daishen Nix and TyTy Washington Jr. playing together.

"They actually played pretty good together," Silas said. "They both received quality minutes. They were able to get the ball down the floor and in the paint with their passing."

When they were on the court together, Washington took the helm as Houston's floor general, with Nix playing off the ball. 

Silas said before the game that he and his staff are trying to figure out how to distribute minutes between Nix and Washington. But if this combination sparks Silas' interest, having Nix play more off-ball would put the second-year guard in his natural position. 

They played a combined 31 minutes and scored 11 points, four assists and three steals. Nix and Washington recorded a team-best plus-15. 

Subpar Energy and Effort:

Silas and the team were pleased with the energy and effort the Rockets illustrated throughout the first half. 

Houston out-rebounded Portland 28-19 during the first two periods. Their most impressive effort came on the offensive glass, where 11 offensive rebounds led to 14 second-half points. 

But the Rockets' production dropped on both ends of the floor during the second half. Silas and the players expressed their displeasure with the team's lackadaisical play on both ends.

"The energy dropped bad," Jalen Green said. "The ball became stagnant. We play our best when we are moving the ball. It's been that way the last two games."

Best performance:

K.J. Martin was the only player who played with the same intensity and effort each time he stepped onto the floor. He finished the night with 13 points and five rebounds. The boost he provided the Rockets off the bench sparked some life into the team midway through the fourth quarter.  

Worst performance:

The Rockets' backcourt of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. had arguably their worst performance in the two seasons they have played together as teammates. Green and Porter scored a combined 28 points and shot 0-of-12 from behind the arc. 

As Houston's two primary ball handlers, Green and Porter recorded eight assists and committed eight of Houston's 15 turnovers on the night. They recorded a combined minus-43.

Final Words:

"We were playing streetball. We were not playing together anymore. We did not have any fight." — Jalen Green

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

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