Three Takeaways from the Rockets' Comeback Win over the Trail Blazers

The Houston Rockets were looking for a much-needed bounce-back after a bad loss to the injured Golden State Warriors on Thursday, and got the job done this time against an also injured Portland Trail Blazers team on the second of a back-to-back 106-99.

Houston improved to 39-23 on the season and dominated the fourth quarter 29-17. The Blazers were just atrocious 21/37 (57%) from the free throw line and it was a huge reason why the Rockets ultimately won. Three Rockets were in double digits led by center Alperen Sengun with 28 points on 11/15 shooting. Kevin Durant added 20 points, but shot just 8/18 from the field with eight turnovers.

The Rockets shot 54% from the field. Here are three takeaways from this game.

Struggled Early in First Half Again

Mar 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) sets up a pick against Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) as Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles against Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (5) in the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Rockets had three early turnovers before the first timeout, and the Blazers shot well from downtown for a 17-9 lead.

Portland took a 31-18 advantage at one point in the first as well. The Rockets went on an extended 24-10 run that got them back into the game. Durant and Eason were key players during this stretch. Houston was down 34-27 at the end of the first.

Sengun was a force at the start of the second quarter. The Rockets being aggressive allowed them to get to the free throw line as well as get turnovers to score. Houston took the lead around the halfway point of the second. Houston maintained its lead the rest of the way and had a 57-56 lead at halftime.

The Blazers shot 45% from three in the first half, but the Rockets heated up and shot 58% from the field due to close shots at the rim. The Rockets scored two points in the last six minutes of the third quarter, and the Blazers took an 82-77 lead at the end of that period. Durant really struggled during the period and consistently missed badly.

Paint Attack and Ball Movement

The Rockets just dominated inside the paint, and it was the majority of their offense on a night they were horrible from beyond the arc. Houston had 38-14 advantage in the paint in the first half. The Rockets won that battle with a massive 62 points in the paint compared to 42 for Portland.

The Rockets were great on offense in terms of off ball cutting and that set up easy baskets at the bucket.

Sheppard had a nice steal that led to a pass in transition to Thompson, who threw it back to Durant for a slam. Sheppard added 17 points and six assists along with three blocks and one steal.

Sengun was the best offense for the Rockets in this game. He put up 19 first-half points on 8/11 shooting in the first half.

Thompson in the Fourth

Thompson led a 18-4 run for the Rockets with seven straight points. Houston suddenly took a 91-89 lead with just over six minutes to go and extended it to 95-89.

Sheppard made it 13 straight for the Rockets with a 3-pointer and it went up to 15 straight. The Rockets got multiple defensive stops and got in transition which is obviously Thompson's strength. Thompson was the second highest scorer in this game with 26 points on an outstanding 11/12 from the field. He also added seven rebounds and seven assists.

The Rockets face the Spurs in San Antonio next on Sunday in a massive clash.