(Sports Network) - The Portland Trail Blazers will finish a two-day tour of the Lone Star State Wednesday by trying to beat the Houston Rockets for the second time in four days.
The Blazers topped Houston rather easily in the Rose Garden on Sunday when LaMarcus Aldridge recorded a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Portland earned its eighth straight home win with a 100-85 victory over Houston.
The road has been a much different story for the Trail Blazers, however, and Portland followed up its big win against the Rockets by faltering in its sixth consecutive game as the visitor Tuesday, falling to a shorthanded Dallas team, 84-81, in Big D. Jason Terry hit several key shots down the stretch and finished with 18 points, as the Mavericks earned the win in that one with both Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler on the sidelines.
Aldridge ended with 28 points and 10 boards, but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer for the Trail Blazers, who had won two straight and six of eight overall coming into the contest. Marcus Camby finished with a game-high 20 rebounds to go with 10 points in defeat.
"We need to stay focused," Blazers coach Nate McMillan told the Trail Blazers' website. "You've got to make plays down the stretch. When it's winning time, you have to make those plays."
The Rockets, meanwhile, followed up their loss in Portland with another setback in Denver on Monday when Carmelo Anthony finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, as the Nuggets topped Houston 113-106.
Luis Scola led the Rockets with 24 points. Kyle Lowry contributed 21 points and Chase Budinger scored 13 in a reserve role for Houston, which has dropped three of four.
"We had a bad game in Portland and we just didn't play well (against Denver)," Rockets big man Brad Miller told the team's website. "Coming in, it is tough month for us and we (have) to step it up and play a little bit better."
The Blazers, who are 6-14 on the road this season, have dropped six straight in Houston and haven't won in Texas' largest city since April 6, 2007. The Rockets are 10-5 at Toyota Center on the season.
For more on the Rockets, check out The Dream Shake.