On April 6th, Beijing time, the Rockets defeated the Trail Blazers 102-88 at home.
The Rockets (49-28) ended their two-game losing streak and moved up to fourth place in the Western Conference. Yao Ming scored 21 points with 12 rebounds, Ron Artest added 15 points, Luis Scola had 16 points and 6 assists, Aaron Brooks contributed 14 points, and Vonteego Cummings scored 12 points.
The Trail Blazers' (48-28) four-game winning streak came to an end, making it difficult for them to compete with the Nuggets for the top spot in the Northwest Division. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points with 9 rebounds, Brandon Roy had 22 points and 6 assists. Greg Oden's matchup with Yao Ming was not as impressive, as he only played 14 minutes off the bench, scoring 4 points. He still appeared too inexperienced compared to Yao Ming.
In the previous game against the Lakers, the Rockets were very dissatisfied with their performance. Today, facing the Trail Blazers, the Rockets got another chance to prove themselves. Yao Ming started strong, scoring 10 points in the first quarter. Midway through the quarter, Yao Ming grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in, giving the Rockets a 15-9 lead. The Rockets failed to score for the next two minutes but successfully held the Trail Blazers in check. With 4:13 left in the quarter, Yao Ming made a layup, and Brooks followed with a driving score, giving the Rockets an 8-point advantage. The Rockets once led by 9 points, but Roy hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, bringing the Trail Blazers within 25-31.