Rockets vs. Trail Blazers Takeaways: The Wrong Side Of Damian Lillard's Historic Night
The Houston Rockets (13-47) dropped their ninth consecutive game in a 131-114 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers (29-31) Sunday night inside the Moda Center.
Here are three takeaways.
Damian Lillard goes off for 71 points:
Damian Lillard had one of the best-scoring performances in league history. He scored 71 points on 22-of-38 shooting, 13-of-22 from behind the arc. And his career performance left Rockets' coach Stephen Silas "disappointed."
Lillard had 41 points by halftime after erupting for 14 during the last two minutes of the second quarter.
He became the ninth player in league history to score 70 points or more. And Lillard's 71-point performance set a Rockets' franchise record for the most points scored by an opponent.
Silas said the team made adjustments on the defensive end throughout the game but credited Lillard for making several tough shots. Lillard also became the 12th player this season to score 40 or more points against the Rockets.
"We were doing all kinds of stuff to get the ball out of his hands," Silas said. "We were blitzing him in the pick-and-rolls. We trapped him. But we just struggled to guard him."
Another benching for Alperen Sengun due to his defense:
Silas revealed following the game that he was okay with the Rockets' defense despite Lillard's historic night. But he appeared frustrated by Alperen Sengun's effort.
He pulled Sengun out of the game with five minutes left in the third quarter, and he did not return the rest of the night.
Silas' decision marked the second consecutive game Sengun's benching came midway through the third quarter. But for the second straight game, Sengun became unplayable due to his defensive deficiencies.
"I’m just doing bad defense — very bad defense," Sengun said. "That’s why I’m not playing. I just need to be focused on pick-and-roll defense. I can do a better job — I can improve."
Silas added: "We need everybody to give effort on the defensive end. They [Trail Blazers] went at him in the pick-and-roll. Every single one."
Another season-low for the Rockets:
With a record of 13-47, the Rockets have had several low moments throughout the season. But to allow a player to score 71 points could be the second-most embarrassing night of the year. The Rockets' 32-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 4 remains the lowest moment for Houston.
Best performance:
Boban Marjanovic had the most significant impact each time he touched the floor of the Moda Center. The Rockets were able to cut into Portland's lead midway through the second half due to the successful zone defense they ran with Marjanovic. He finished with a season-best 10 points in six minutes.
Worst performance:
Jabari Smith Jr. was hoping to have a breakout second half of the season coming out of the All-Star break. But through the first two games, Smith has fallen short of expectations. He finished the game with nine points on 3-of-11 shooting. Smith also finished with a team-low minus-27.
Final Words:
"Dame was hot, shooting from half-court. Every time we were not up into him, he was making them. He just had a great game." — Silas
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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