NBA wrap: Rockets make lineup change, pick up win over Trail Blazers

The Rockets inserted Eric Gordon into the starting lineup Tuesday in an attempt to give their first unit a boost and it paid off.

Eric Gordon

The Rockets inserted Eric Gordon into the starting lineup Tuesday  in an attempt to give their first unit a boost and it paid off.

Houston topped the Trail Blazers, 111-103, despite trailing by as many as 15 in the first quarter. The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Rockets and they'll hope to build on their success with the change.

Gordon contributed 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting while James Harden showcased his proficiency as a scorer by pouring in a team-high 29 points. Houston also benefited from the all-around effort of Chris Paul, who recorded his first triple double of the year with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on a cold shooting night.

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum led Portland with 34 and 22 points, respectively.

The Rockets have struggled so far this season but Tuesday was definitely a bright spot for them.

Studs of the Night

Bryn Forbes scored a game-high 24 points and was a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from 3-point range in a 111-86 victory for the Spurs over the Suns.

T.J. Warren scored a team-high 23 points for the Suns on 9-of-16 shooting in their loss to the Spurs. 

Duds of the Night

Josh Jackson played a team-high 35 minutes for the Suns but scored just seven points on 2-of-14 shooting.

Clippers guard Avery Bradley failed to score and missed all six of his shots in his team's 123-99 loss to the Raptors. 

Highlights

Milos Teodosic was slinging dimes left and right for the Clippers against the Raptors.

What's Next Raptors (22-7) at Warriors (19-9) 10:30 p.m. —  Toronto claimed a 131-128 victory the last time it played Golden State, but the Warriors were missing Stephen Curry. Kawhi Leonard sat out Toronto's game against the Clippers on Tuesday and his status is "up in the air" for this matchup, according to TSN. This has a chance to be an NBA Finals preview.