Rockets at Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard aims to continue his spectacular run when the Portland Trail Blazers host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Lillard has scored 158 points over the past three games, beginning with a franchise-record 61 points and continuing with efforts of 47 and 50 points.
Lillard would like to see his big games spur a stretch of wins as the Trail Blazers reside in 10th place in the Western Conference, and stand 2 1/2 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth and final playoff spot. "I just know that it's to the point in the season where we got to start winning, we got to have a nice run to try to get that last spot, or one of the last two spots," Lillard told reporters. "If it don't start happening now, it's not going to happen. I've just been trying to come in sharp and make it happen." Houston's Eric Gordon put on a Lillard-like performance on Monday as he poured in a career-best 50 points in a 126-117 road win over the Utah Jazz. "I feel like I'm getting back to being myself," Gordon told reporters after Monday's explosion while referencing his mid-November knee surgery. "I told everybody when you have surgery during the season, it's always going to be a process."
TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN, AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBCS Northwest, NBA TV Canada
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (29-17): Gordon's stellar outing occurred on a night in which guards James Harden (thigh) and Russell Westbrook (rest) were both of the lineup and it was highly pleasing to Houston coach Mike D'Antoni. "He's pain-free for the first time in a year-and-a-half," D'Antoni said after the victory. "There will be ups and downs like all the others, but Eric is going to be good. As long as he's not hurting, he's going to be good." Harden missed the past two games and his status won't be known until Wednesday while Westbrook will be back on the floor against the Trail Blazers.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (20-27): Portland recorded a season high for points in Sunday's 139-129 home win over the Indiana Pacers as Lillard scored 50 points and also made eight 3-pointers to raise his total in that category to 27 over the past three games. "He's in a great rhythm, I mean that's an understatement," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "The ball's coming off his hands great on his threes, he's managing the game. It's easy to obviously look at his scoring, but I thought the decision making, finding people, he's in a really great groove." Lillard now ranks fifth in the NBA with a 28.8 scoring average that is on pace to be a career-best mark.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams split two meetings in Houston earlier this season.
2. Westbrook scored 20 or more points in 20 consecutive games, including 30 or more in seven of his past eight appearances.
3. Portland SG CJ McCollum scored 28 points against Indiana after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury.