Brandon Roy - Rockets-Trail Blazers Preview (AP) -- Playing once again without the franchise's top prospect hasn't made things easy for the Portland Trail Blazers so far this season.
Consistently facing the Western Conference's best hasn't exactly helped, either.
Set to meet a 2007-08 playoff team for the fifth straight game, Portland will try to avoid its fourth loss in five games on Thursday night when it hosts the Houston Rockets, who open a five-game road trip looking to rebound from their first loss of the season.
The Blazers (1-3) were bubbling with optimism entering this season, with 2007 top overall draft pick Greg Oden finally set to take the court after missing all of last season following microfracture knee surgery.
But Oden went down with a foot injury during the Blazers' 96-76 season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and with their 7-footer out, Portland's early path hasn't gotten any easier. The Blazers' lone victory was a 100-99 win in their home opener against San Antonio on Friday, and they've dropped their last two on the road at Phoenix and Utah.
They were hoping Oden would help bolster their defense. Instead, the Blazers have allowed an average of 101.3 points through their first four games, with opponents shooting better than 52.6 percent in each of the last three.
"It was a winnable game and we let it slip,"Brandon Roy said on Wednesday. "Tonight was another case where we panicked and they made a run."
The Blazers are used to strong performances by opponents. Thursday's game will be their fifth straight against a team that finished among the West's top six last season, with those teams jumping out to a combined 16-5 record to start 2008-09.
After going 55-27 last season before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Jazz, the Rockets (3-1) won their first three games with the newly united trio of Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and Ron Artest.
But they couldn't get past the defending NBA champions on Tuesday, losing 103-99 at home to Boston. Artest was just 3-of-16 from the floor while Yao went 4-of-14 in what he called one of his "worst games of all time" as Houston shot 39.1 percent from the field.
"We did not play well at all," Artest said. "Usually you can say you've got to give them credit. But there were things that we could've done better to pull out the victory."
After playing three of its first four at home, Houston embarks on a difficult trip that also includes games against the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix and San Antonio.
The Rockets won their first road game 112-102 at Dallas last Thursday, as Yao had 30 points and Artest added 29. Their 24-17 road record last season included a pair of wins at the Rose Garden, as the Blazers averaged 82.5 points in those games.
That was impressive considering Portland went 28-13 at home last season. Houston was the only team to beat the Blazers four times last season, and Portland has lost five straight and 15 of 18 overall against the Rockets.
By MIKE LIPKA,
STATS Writer
