April 4th, 2008 
Stephen Rhodes 
Posted in ???????????????????????????????? 
Houston Rockets swingman Tracy McGrady, after his performance Sunday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, may garner more than just a few votes for league MVP; witness what he did during the game – 26 second-half points.? That scoring would prove to make all the difference as Houston defeated Portland 95-86 at Rose Garden.? The Rocket win snapped a 2-game losing streak and kept them in 5th place in the Western Conference playoff race.
Houston took a 36-28 lead on a 3-pointer by Shane Battier and extended it to 50-34 on Luther Head’s layup; the Rockets would go into the second half with a 52-43 advantage.? Portland would narrow the lead to 52-50 in the third quarter on a jumper by Steve Blake, but the Rockets held off the Blazers until a 3-point play by Jarrett Jack put Portland ahead 59-58.? Trailing 63-61, the Rockets went on a 13-0 run to take a 74-63 lead going into the fourth quarter; Houston rookie Aaron Brooks drained a 3-pointer with 3:06 left in the game, giving the Rockets an insurmountable 91-78 lead.
Houston was led by McGrady with 35 points, including 4 treys, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and a block while Brooks added 12 with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal; Dikembe Mutumbo had one of his better offensive games as he chipped in with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks.? Portland was led by LaMarcus Aldridge with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while Jack scored 19 with 4 rebounds and 3 assists; Joel Przybilla, while scoring only 6 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked a shot.? Houston (50-25) will take the short journey north?up I-5 as they face the Seattle SuperSonics Friday while Portland (38-38) remains home to host the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
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