How will the Rockets do in the Pacific Northwest next week?

It's that time of year again. The time when the Rockets make their first of two trips to Portland and Seattle. I'll be going to both games, so for the first time ever, I'll be attending two games in one week.

This could be a nice, uplifting Thanksgiving week, or it could be total hell.

How will the Rockets do in Portland and Seattle?

I have lousy seats for the Portland game. Still, I don't care. This is still the Rockets. My heart will be a-pounding. The Blazers will be looking to avenge their earlier loss to Houston, and that will make it tough. But I think the Rockets are a better team. This is the type of game that the Rockets can use to prove that they have truly improved, mentally. We all know that the talent is there. Houston needs to go for the kill, and put Portland in an 0-2 season series hole.


Seattle crushed the Rockets in Houston, and I know our guys will be looking for revenge. If Yao Ming is half as good as he was last night, he will simply destroy the Sonics' weak front line. Seattle has a lot of good shooters, but they are hardly unbeatable. If the Rockets play like they did against Dallas in the first three quarters for 48 minutes, it will be a relatively easy game.

With that said, I still dread this game, in a way. The Rockets have lost three in a row at the Key. I need this to be the year that changes. I have good seats for this game, and I need a win! Hell, a close game would be good enough, considering that the last two games in Seattle were decided by a combined total of 48 points. Come on Rockets, don't let me down!