May 1st, 2009 
Stephen Rhodes 
Posted in 
The Houston Rockets – for reasons known only to them and God – have had the worst luck in advancing past the first round of the Western Conference playoffs for the past 12 years. The team they have faced in the first round this year, the Portland Trail Blazers, obviously was no cakewalk – as evidenced by the 3-2 edge the Rockets had prior to Thursday night’s contest.
A huge second quarter was all that was needed along with some tight defense as Houston easily disposed of Portland 92-76 at Toyota Center; the victory advances Houston to the second round, where they will face the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
The first quarter was nothing to write home about for wither team as Houston entered the second frame with only a 21-19 lead; with Rockets center Yao Ming taking a brief rest early, they took control as they produced a 13-2 run, capped by Von Wafer’s 3-pointer. But Portland would respond as Brandon Roy made a layup with 6:26 left in the half - the Blazers’ first basket in four minutes. Ming would return for the Rockets; as a result, Ming hit a hook shot a minute later, giving Houston a 38-23 lead. They would go into halftime with a sizable 52-37 advantage.
Portland would reduce their deficit to 13 early in the fourth quarter, but a Ming layup and an Aaron Brooks 3-pointer made it 81-63; a Brooks layup with 2:45 left to go iced the game for the Rockets as they enjoyed a 20-point lead. Houston’s high scorer was Ron Artest with 27 points (including three 3-pointers), a rebound, 2 assists and a steal while Ming added 17 with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and 2 blocks.
Portland had only two players in double-digits, led by LaMarcus Aldridge with 26 points, 5 rebounds, an assist and a block while Roy added 22 with 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. As previously mentioned, Houston advances to the second round, facing the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
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