THAT WAS.........FUN?True. This is not about moral victories, although it was a helluvan effort without Nurkic and Harkless. It was not about what could have been, after building a 14 point lead after 3 quarters. It was not a sure Portland victory if Dame didn't tweak his ankle. It was fun because:

After a lackluster 3 game start to the home stand, Portland played with energy and urgency.

We saw McLillard at a high level, with volume scoring (63 points), accurate shooting (22-44), bombs away (11-24 from deep) and 10 assists for good measure.

We saw the good Meyers Leonard, with 5-6 shooting for 12 points. We also saw the elbows and extra-curricular plays that make ML so disliked by opposing players. In fact, Nurk/Leonard may be one of the most despised pair of centers in the NBA.

We saw Pat cutting like a mad-man, putting some spice into the Stotts offense. If fact, if Pay drills a couple of his five wide open threes he would have had a great game.

We saw Zach Collins play some meaningful minutes, finishing with 5 points and 3 blocks. It was just a tease, but it was pleasant to see after the production around the league from so many 1st round picks.

HOUSTON IS A REGULAR SEASON NOVELTY ACT. THEY ARE NO THREAT TO THE WARRIORS.False. The good news is that the NBA does not bail out Harden with foul calls on every single drive this season. It just feels that way. I was surprised to see that he was only 12-14 from the line. It felt worse. The Rockets force you into terrible choices: pay too much attention to Harden and they kill you with 3's. Pay too little attention and he carves you up for 48 points. Then when they need it they put the ball in Chris Paul's hands. Too much. They play better defense this year. They rain more 3's than the Splash Brothers' crew. Harden is the clear MVP and the Rockets could win this league.

FINAL GRADE: Portland actually played better by removing 2 rotation players. The remaining Blazers came out with purpose and clarified roles. They had ball movement through 3 quarters, and the offense was thriving. The shock of Dame limping off, and CJ leading iso offense in the 4th led to Portland's ultimate demise. While slightly disappointing, it was not unexpected. Portland can make a solid play-off run with their execution and effort from tonight. Beating a red-hot Rocket team was too much, but this was a game effort and a joy to watch. B