HOUSTON — Nicolas Batum made just two baskets but his second proved critical, a 3-pointer with the shot clock expiring that helped the Portland Trail Blazers escape with a 109-98 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night at Toyota Center.
Trail Blazers All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard scored 24 and 23 points, respectively, while the Portland bench added 37 points. But it was Batum who pushed Portland (35-17) to a 103-96 lead with 1:26 remaining by drilling a pull-up 3-pointer as the horn sounded.
Rockets guard James Harden matched his season high with 45 points, one off his career best, and added nine rebounds and eight assists. But aside from reserve forward Josh Smith (16 points, five rebounds, four assists), who matched his career high of four 3-pointers for a second consecutive game, Harden was largely alone carrying Houston (35-16).
One night after blowing a double-digit lead in the waning moments of an overtime loss in Dallas, the Trail Blazers blitzed the Rockets so thoroughly starting in the second quarter and stretching into the third that once their lead hit 17, a repeat collapse seemed improbable.
Reserve guard C.J. McCollum got Portland rolling in the second, snapping a 35-all tie with a runner at the 8:03 mark of the period before adding a floater, a 3-pointer and a transition layup following a steal. His individual blitz lifted the Trail Blazers to a 48-37 lead, and Portland extended that run with a 10-3 spurt bridging the second and third.
Harden had started his roll by scoring eight of the Rockets’ final 11 points in the first half. He added eight additional points to that roll in the third quarter, and after scoring twice in transition, the deficit was 75-68.
By the close of the period Harden recorded half of the Rockets’ 32 points, including nine from the line. He did miss a free throw that would have tied the game with 52.1 seconds left in the period, and while Smith buried a 3 that pushed Houston in front to open the third, Portland responded by turning to its big men, Meyers Leonard and Robin Lopez.
NOTES: Trail Blazers G Damian Lillard was named by NBA commissioner Adam Silver an injury replacement for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. Lillard replaces Clippers F Blake Griffin, who is sidelined by a staph infection in his right elbow. Lillard, who will make his second All-Star Game appearance, is averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists. … Rockets C Dwight Howard addressed the media for the first time since undergoing a procedure to manage a right knee edema last Wednesday. Howard is expected to be sidelined 6-8 weeks. “I don’t think I was concerned too much from having the procedure,” Howard said. “I just want to be out there playing and, for most of the season, it’s been a struggle for me.”