BLAZERS OPEN NBA SEASON WITH WIN OVER ROCKETS

The Portland Trailblazers got the 2009-2010 NBA season off to a successful start, defeating the Houston Rockets 96-87 at the Rose Garden Arena on Tuesday night.  Reserve Travis Outlaw led the Blazers with 23 points, while superstar shooting guard Brandon Roy added 20. In Houston’s first regular season game without the services of injured stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the Rockets were led by Aaron Brooks with 19.
 
NBA betting enthusiasts who laid the closing number with the Blazers as -8’ favorites were also rewarded with a pointspread victory.  Portland had been had been favored as high as -10 early in the day, so players that bet that number down with their action on Houston did no worse than a push with the nine point margin of victory.  The 183 points scored went UNDER the posted total of 188’.  Portland has now won seven straight regular season games dating back to last season—the longest current streak in the NBA.  They’ve also won 20 of their last 22 games at home.

Greg Oden shined on defense, where the Blazers’ center pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked five shots.  After the game, Portland coach Nate McMillan suggested that was going to be a theme for the season:

"That's the commitment, getting involved in the game on the defensive end of the floor, not the offensive end of the floor. Offensive players want to see that ball go in the basket before they get into the game. We want to change that thought process this year and get into the game on the defensive end of the floor. I thought our guys did that."

It wasn’t a perfect performance, however, as the Blazers turned the ball over 23 times and let Houston pull within six points near the end of the game.  Rockets’ coach Rick Adelman commented on his team’s late game comeback:

"We had a pretty good combination out there that attacked them a little bit. But they really helped us by turning it over like they did."

Portland’s Brandon Roy, meanwhile, wasn’t as worried about what had gone wrong as he was pleased with the victory:

"We built the lead, but the biggest thing is we didn't put them away when we had a chance to. Then again, it's the first game and we're just happy to have this win even though it was sloppy. It's one under our belts."

Portland will play the Denver Nuggets at home on Thursday night before a rematch of their opening game in Houston on Saturday.  They’ll continue their Midwest road trip on Sunday with a game in Oklahoma City.  Houston won a tight game at Houston on Wednesday and will now return home and await the Blazers on Halloween night.