Notebook: Rockets 103, Trail Blazers 96

Posted Thursday February 9, 2012 1:36AM

By Kerry Eggers, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Chase Budinger scored 22 points off the bench as Houston sent Portland to its second straight home loss Wednesday night at the Rose Garden, 103-96. The Trail Blazers (14-11) roared back from a 19-point third-quarter deficit to tie the score several times early in the fourth quarter, but made only four of their last 14 shots to help the Rockets (14-11) close out the win. Portland got 21 points from Jamal Crawford and 20 from Gerald Wallace.

QUOTABLE: "Part of the challenge is to figure out the right combinations of players, motivating these guys, getting them to play both ways. We play in spurts."
-- Portland coach Nate McMillan on the way his team has performed of late.

THE STAT: Houston reserves combined for 66 points on 24-for-43 shooting (.558) ... The Rockets shot .526 as a team and outrebounded the Blazers 39-29 -- 26-16 in the second half. ... The Rockets won despite 23 turnovers and making only 11 of 19 attempts at the line.

TURNING POINT: Houston outscored Portland 21-8 over the final 7 1/2 minutes of the first half to go into intermission 60-46. The Blazers spent so much energy catching up, they looked spent at the end.

QUOTABLE II: "Our bench was fantastic. You have to reward the guys who are playing well. They deserved to finish the game."
-- Houston coach Kevin McHale, who played reserves Budinger, Goran Dragic and Courtney Lee the entire fourth quarter.

HOT: Houston's Luis Scola was 5-for-5 and scored 10 points in the first quarter. ... Budinger and Courtney Lee were a combined 6-for-6 from 3-point range in the first half.

NOT: LaMarcus Aldridge was feeling under the weather, and he played like it. Portland's probable All-Star selection -- who came into the game averaging 23.7 points and 8.6 rebounds -- managed 13 points on 5-for-14 shooting to go with five rebounds in 39 minutes.

QUOTABLE III: "In the first half, we were a step slow. Not just one or two guys; everybody was a step slow. In the second half, I could tell right away we had some more pop. But when you play catchup, you have to almost play perfect."
-- Jamal Crawford.

INSIDE THE ARENA: It was Military Appreciation Night, and Trail Blazer players pledged a combined $20,000 to buy tickets to donate to local military families.

GOOD MOVE: Early in the fourth quarter, Portland's Nicolas Batum blocked Dragic from behind on a fast-break dunk attempt, leading to a 3-point shot by Crawford at the other end. It turned what would have been a 79-72 Rockets' lead to a 77-75 advantage.

NOTABLE: It was the first time Portland has suffered back-to-back home losses since Feb. 27 and March 1, 2011. ... Houston guard Kyle Lowry left the game in the third quarter with a hyperextended right elbow and did not return.

UP NEXT: For the Blazers, at New Orleans Friday, at Dallas Saturday, Washington Tuesday. For the Rockets, at Phoenix Thursday, at Golden State Sunday, at Memphis Tuesday.