Rockets rally from 20 down to edge Blazers

Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo (7) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Toyota Center on January 28, 2021. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Victor Oladipo scored 25 points, Christian Wood added a double-double and the host Houston Rockets erased an early 20-point deficit in defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 104-101.

Oladipo scored a driving layup with 26.2 seconds left to secure a three-point lead for Houston, which sealed its fourth consecutive victory with free throws from Wood and Eric Gordon down the stretch.

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Wood returned from a three-game injury hiatus and paired 22 points with 12 rebounds.

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Portland hit 17 of 41 3-point attempts but failed to force overtime when Anfernee Simons missed a contested trey at the buzzer.

Simons hit 4 of 9 from long range and scored 14 off the bench, complementing the sharpshooting of Damian Lillard (five 3-pointers, 30 points) and Gary Trent Jr. (seven 3-pointers, 21 points).