Houston Rockets Lost to Blazers Before the Tip in Was Waived Off

The Houston Rockets came into Portland to start their three-game road trip on a high after one of the most exciting games of the season, coming away with a win at the buzzer when Kevin Durant nailed a game-winning 3-pointer to defeat his former team. The Rockets were hoping to continue their recent good play, having won five of their last six games.

The Portland Trail Blazers were also coming into Wednesday's game on a hot streak, having gone 5-1 in their last six games. The Rockets again knew they would be without their All-Star center, Alperen Sengun, as he continues to recover from his ankle injury. Rockets fans got some good news: Ime Udoka said pregame that Sengun may be back sooner than initially thought.

The Rockets started slowly, with only Durant generating any offense, who had 10 points in the first quarter. However, the Rockets still trailed at the end of the first period, 25-22, and it didn't get any better in the second, as they were outscored 32-25 and trailed by 10 points going into the half.

The second half saw the Rockets mount a comeback by finally making shots and playing better defense, but a Tari Eason tip shot at the buzzer was ruled a fraction of a second too late, and the Rockets fell to the Blazers 103-102. Even though most people will focus on the almost game-winner, the game was lost long before that play.

The Houston Rockets shooting or lack thereof was the reason for the loss

The Rockets all season have been one of the best shooting teams in the NBA. The Rockets have been top three in 3-point shooting and in the top five for most of the season in points per game. Both of those areas were struggles for the Rockets Wednesday night in Portland.

The Rockets shot a season-worst 222 percent from beyond the arc in the loss, going 8-36. The Rockets weren't much better at the free-throw line, going 20-29. Those lackluster shooting numbers played a big part in the loss. One possession summed it up perfectly: the Rockets had five fourth-quarter scoring attempts and could not convert any of them.

In fact, the Rockets have had their three worst 3-point shooting games in the last three games, and of course, all have been without Sengun. If the Rockets want to get back into the win column on Friday in the rematch with Portland, they will have to start shooting a much higher percentage all the way around