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Rockets blow by Blazers at Rose Garden

Mar 2, 2011 - 6:59 AM Portland, OR (Sports Network) - Kyle Lowry finished with 21 points and 11 assists as the Houston Rockets handled the Portland Trail Blazers, 103-87, at Rose Garden.

Luis Scola posted 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field and Kevin Martin added 20 points for Houston, which has won five straight and six of its last seven games. The Rockets also ended a four-game skid in Portland, a place they hadn't won in since April 3, 2008.

"This is a tough place to play," Martin said. "We came out fighting. I could not be happier for this team and the way we are playing right now."

Nicolas Batum paced the Blazers with a game-high 22 points. LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace both added 14 points with Wallace grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds in the loss.

Portland has lost back-to-back games and finished a four-game residency 1-3.

"Defensively we did not guard anybody," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "That is why they scored 52 points in the paint."

The Rockets opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run, capped by six straight points from Chase Budinger, to take a 61-44 lead. The Rockets held their margin and Martin's three-pointer at 4:24 widened it to 73-55.

The teams traded baskets down the stretch and Wesley Matthews' free throws just before the third quarter buzzer cut the Houston lead to 83-68.

Martin and Lowry baskets -- surrounding a Batum missed three-pointer -- widened the Houston lead to a game-high 19, and the Rockets' lead never fell below 14 throughout the duration.

"We played solid every quarter," Rockets coach Rich Adelman said. "That was one of the best road wind we have had all year."

Scola paced the Rockets with 10 points on 5-of-5 from the field in the first quarter as they held a 30-26 lead after one. Portland was held to 30 percent from the field in the second quarter as Houston widened its lead to 53-42 at the half.

Game Notes

Portland's Andre Miller scored 13 points and dished out six assists...Budinger added 14 points for Houston...The Rockets held a 52-26 margin in low-post scoring...The Blazers went 16-of-20 from the foul line, compared to 7-of-11 for Houston...Batum was 5-of-5 from the line.