Box Score

 

PORTLAND (81)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
B Wells             35  6-13   4-4  6-11   2   3   17
R Wallace           39   1-6   2-2   0-7   1   3    4
D Davis             26   1-3   0-0   0-3   0   3    2
D Stoudamire        35  8-13   3-4   0-3   3   1   21
D Anderson          27   4-9   2-2   0-1   2   1   10
Q Woods             13   2-6   0-0   0-0   0   4    4
Z Randolph           9   2-5   0-0   3-4   0   0    4
J McInnis           25   3-8   1-1   1-4   4   3    8
A Sabonis           22   5-7   1-2   1-7   2   0   11
A Daniels            9   0-2   0-0   0-1   0   0    0
R Patterson        DNP  - BROKEN EYE SOCKET                              
R Boumtje Boumtje  DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 32-72 13-15 11-41  14  18   81
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.444, FT-.867. 3-Point Goals:
4-9, .444 (B Wells 1-1, R Wallace 0-2, D 
Stoudamire 2-4, D Anderson 0-1, J McInnis 
1-1). Team Rebounds: 5. Blocked Shots:5 (D 
Davis 2, A Sabonis, Q Woods, R Wallace). 
Turnovers:11 (R Wallace 4, D Stoudamire 2, D 
Anderson 2, B Wells 2, Q Woods). Steals: 9 (R
Wallace 2, D Anderson 2, B Wells 2, D 
Stoudamire, D Davis, Q Woods).


HOUSTON (66)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
J Posey             31  6-12   3-3   2-7   2   2   15
M Taylor            26  3-11   2-2   5-6   1   0    8
Y Ming              31  2-13   2-2  5-12   0   1    6
S Francis           42  5-20   1-2   2-4   4   5   12
C Mobley            44  3-12   2-2   2-7   1   1    8
E Griffin           22   3-7   0-0   3-5   0   1    7
K Cato              17   0-3   0-0   3-4   0   3    0
M Norris            10   1-4   0-0   1-1   1   1    2
G Rice              17   3-6   0-0   0-0   0   1    8
T Morris           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
J Hawkins          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
T Maddox           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 26-88 10-11 23-46   9  15   66
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.295, FT-.909. 3-Point Goals:
4-18, .222 (J Posey 0-2, S Francis 1-3, C 
Mobley 0-6, E Griffin 1-2, M Norris 0-1, G 
Rice 2-4). Team Rebounds: 13. Blocked Shots:6
(S Francis 3, K Cato 2, Y Ming). Turnovers:14
(M Taylor 4, C Mobley 4, Y Ming 3, S Francis 
2, G Rice). Steals: 8 (C Mobley 3, J Posey 2,
M Taylor, Y Ming, S Francis).

-------------------------------------------
PORTLAND             19  25  15  22   -  81
HOUSTON              23  18  10  15   -  66
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Houston - 1 (Defensive 
Three, 10:19 1st).
Flagrant fouls: Houston 1 (K Cato, 4:05 2nd).
A: 10,900. T: 2:06. Officials: Greg Willard, 
Hue Hollins, Pat Fraher.

Extended Box

 

PORTLAND (81) AT HOUSTON (66)

PORTLAND

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
B WELLS           F    35    6-13     4-4      6   5  11    2   3   2   2   17
R WALLACE         F    39    1-6      2-2      0   7   7    1   3   2   4    4
D DAVIS           C    26    1-3      0-0      0   3   3    0   3   1   0    2
D STOUDAMIRE      G    35    8-13     3-4      0   3   3    3   1   1   2   21
D ANDERSON        G    27    4-9      2-2      0   1   1    2   1   2   2   10
Q WOODS                13    2-6      0-0      0   0   0    0   4   1   1    4
Z RANDOLPH              9    2-5      0-0      3   1   4    0   0   0   0    4
J MCINNIS              25    3-8      1-1      1   3   4    4   3   0   0    8
A SABONIS              22    5-7      1-2      1   6   7    2   0   0   0   11
A DANIELS               9    0-2      0-0      0   1   1    0   0   0   0    0
R PATTERSON           DNP  - BROKEN EYE SOCKET                                        
R BOUMTJE BOUMTJ      DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   32-72    13-15    11  30  41   14  18   9  11   81
                            (.444)  (.867)  TEAM REBS:  5 TOTAL TO: 12 (14 PTS)    

HOUSTON

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
J POSEY           F    31    6-12     3-3      2   5   7    2   2   2   0   15
M TAYLOR          F    26    3-11     2-2      5   1   6    1   0   1   4    8
Y MING            C    31    2-13     2-2      5   7  12    0   1   1   3    6
S FRANCIS         G    42    5-20     1-2      2   2   4    4   5   1   2   12
C MOBLEY          G    44    3-12     2-2      2   5   7    1   1   3   4    8
E GRIFFIN              22    3-7      0-0      3   2   5    0   1   0   0    7
K CATO                 17    0-3      0-0      3   1   4    0   3   0   0    0
M NORRIS               10    1-4      0-0      1   0   1    1   1   0   0    2
G RICE                 17    3-6      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   1    8
T MORRIS              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
J HAWKINS             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
T MADDOX              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   26-88    10-11    23  23  46    9  15   8  14   66
                            (.295)  (.909)  TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 14 (21 PTS)    
  
   PORTLAND           19   25   15   22   -   81
   HOUSTON            23   18   10   15   -   66
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: PORTLAND - D DAVIS 2, A SABONIS, Q WOODS, R WALLACE.
HOUSTON - S FRANCIS 3, K CATO 2, Y MING.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PORTLAND 4-9 (.444), B WELLS 1-1, R WALLACE 0-2,
D STOUDAMIRE 2-4, D ANDERSON 0-1, J MCINNIS 1-1. HOUSTON 4-18 (.222),
J POSEY 0-2, S FRANCIS 1-3, C MOBLEY 0-6, E GRIFFIN 1-2, M NORRIS 0-
1, G RICE 2-4.
TECHNICAL FOULS: HOUSTON - DEFENSIVE THREE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: HOUSTON 1 (K CATO, 4:05 2ND,).
OFFICIALS: GREG WILLARD, HUE HOLLINS, PAT FRAHER.
A - 10,900. T - 2:06.

Game Story

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- With their playoff hopes hanging in the 
balance, the Houston Rockets tied a pair of embarrassing
franchise records in an 81-66 loss to the Portland Trail
Blazers.

The Rockets' total matched their record-low output on December
21, 1996.  Their 29.5 percent shooting (26-of-88) from the field
also tied a franchise record for futility.

"I guess bad shooting is contagious," said Rockets rookie center
Yao Ming, who shot 2-of-13 and scored six points. "It wasn't
one person not shooting well. It was everyone."

Houston (40-38) could not have picked a worse time for a poor
game.  The Rockets fell 1 1/2 games behind the Phoenix Suns in
the race for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference
after the Suns won in Denver.

"We blew it," said Steve Francis, who scored 12 points on
5-of-20 shooting. "We just have to watch film of it and come out
and do better."

Damon Stoudamire scored 10 of his season-high 21 points in the
fourth quarter.  The Rockets scored only 15 points in the final
period.

"Some games you do different things," Stoudamire said. "I
haven't played off the ball much this year, but I hit a couple
of shots and got us going. I got into a nice offensive flow."

Houston went 8:29 between baskets in the second half and was
outscored 11-3 in that span.  The Rockets got as close as 67-60
with 7:04 left, but could not make enough shots in the final
minutes to stay within striking distance.

"It was one of those situations where we just couldn't find the
range," Rockets acting coach Larry Smith said. "We had
opportunities and no one could put it in the basket. We tried
everyone in that stretch and nobody could hit."

Portland (48-29) moved a one-half game in front of Minnesota for
the fourth seed in the West.  The Trail Blazers and
Timberwolves likely will face each other in the first round of
the playoffs, and the team finishing fourth gets home-court
advantage.

"We knew we had to try to get a win tonight to start this trip,"
Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We're trying to play more
consistent basketball going into the playoffs and not be one
night up and one night down."

Bonzi Wells had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Arvydas Sabonis
added 11 and seven off the bench for the Blazers.

James Posey led the Rockets with 15 points, 11 in the first
quarter.

In the third quarter, the teams combined for 25 points.  Houston
scored only 10 on 3-of-24 shooting.  Wells hit a 3-pointer from
the left corner to beat the buzzer and give Portland a 59-51
lead.

Houston did not score 20 points in any of the final three
quarters after taking a 23-19 lead after one period.

"We missed shots and that's all I can say," Francis said. "Right
now is definitely not the time where we want to be missing
shots. I don't think we were frustrated. At least we were
sticking with taking the same shots. I don't think we lacked
effort tonight."

The Rockets won three of four games from the Suns and only needs
to tie Phoenix to make the playoffs.

"We have to ... put this game behind us," Smith said. "We know
that we had a poor showing tonight. We've got to get away from
it and worry about tomorrow night."

Houston's loss clinched a playoff berth for the Utah Jazz, who
host the Rockets on Wednesday.