The Moda Center in Portland was the scene of high drama on January 7, 2026, as the Portland Trail Blazers edged out the Houston Rockets 103-102 in a game that had everything—heroics, heartbreak, and a finish so wild it left both teams momentarily unsure of the outcome. For the Blazers, it marked their fourth consecutive win, while the Rockets walked off the court stunned, their last-second jubilation cruelly snatched away by the referee’s review.
This one will be talked about for a while, and for good reason. All eyes were on Deni Avdija, who exploded for a season-high 41 points, carrying Portland through every tense moment. Avdija’s performance was nothing short of electrifying—he shot 13-of-24 from the field and a near-perfect 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. Whenever Houston threatened, Avdija had an answer, whether it was an acrobatic layup at the third-quarter buzzer or a composed drive in the face of relentless pressure. "It felt good to feel like we finally got over the hump but unfortunately we didn’t," said Houston’s Tari Eason, summing up the mood on the other side.
The game’s closing sequence was pure chaos. With the Rockets trailing by a single point, Kevin Durant—who had been sensational all night with 37 points on 14-of-26 shooting—missed a jumper from 19 feet out. Eason, who had already racked up a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, soared in for what looked like a game-winning tip-in. The Rockets bench erupted in celebration, but the euphoria was short-lived. After a tense review, officials determined the ball was still on Eason’s fingertips as the clock expired. The basket was waved off, and Portland’s players could finally exhale.
“It felt like we won the game,” Eason admitted after the game. “We didn’t, but it felt like it. I was excited because we fought back through adversity, through the refs, through being on the road, not hitting shots.” Coach Ime Udoka echoed the sentiment, calling Eason’s tip “as close as it could be,” but he didn’t shy away from critiquing his team’s inefficiency. “All game, look at the wide-open looks we got. We were 8 for 36 and the majority of those were wide-open. If you can make some, it would mask the things we were not doing well. We’re still not guarding to our capabilities and we held them to 103. If you mess around the game for three-and-a-half quarters, you probably don’t deserve to win regardless. The tip might’ve been good and all that, but we’ve got to be much better. It’s January now.”
Statistically, Houston might have expected a different outcome. They dominated the glass, out-rebounding Portland 57-38 and collecting a whopping 24 offensive rebounds to the Blazers’ six. Those extra opportunities led to 23 second-chance points, and Houston also outpaced Portland in fast-break points, 17 to 15. Steven Adams, Amen Thompson, and Eason were relentless on the boards, giving the Rockets multiple cracks at the basket on nearly every possession. Yet, the Rockets’ shooting woes proved fatal—they finished just 37.4% from the field and a chilly 8-for-36 (22.2%) from beyond the arc. Nine missed free throws out of 29 attempts didn’t help either.
For all their hustle, the Rockets couldn’t convert key chances. One telling sequence came with Houston down 88-84: after four offensive rebounds on a single possession, they still came up empty, only to watch Toumani Camara hit a three-pointer for Portland on the other end. “I feel like we generated good looks. The last three games, it’s been tough knocking down shots. I feel like if you look at the stat sheet, everything was pretty much in our favor but (making shots),” Durant reflected postgame. “You can go back and forth through every play to try to see what we could do different. You learn from it and get better next game.”
Portland, meanwhile, leaned on execution and late-game composure. Shaedon Sharpe chipped in 20 points, and first-round pick Yang Hansen gave a spark with a long three-pointer late in the first quarter. The Blazers closed the first half on a 17-7 run, taking a 57-47 lead into the break. Avdija’s buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter maintained a six-point cushion, but the Rockets refused to go away. Amen Thompson was everywhere for Houston, finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, his relentless drives and defensive versatility keeping the Rockets within striking distance.
The absence of Alperen Sengun (out with an ankle sprain for at least two weeks) forced Houston to lean even more heavily on Eason and Thompson. Eason, who has embraced a larger role since Sengun’s injury, struggled with his shot (5-of-18 from the field, 2-of-8 from three), but his energy and rebounding were crucial. "I was excited because we fought back through adversity," Eason said, highlighting the team’s resilience despite the loss. The Rockets’ record slipped to 22-12, while Portland improved to 18-20, climbing closer to a .500 record and keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Coach Udoka’s challenge in the final seconds nearly turned the game. With Portland up 103-100 and just seconds left, Houston was called for a loose ball foul on the inbound. Udoka challenged the call—and won—giving Houston the ball and a final shot at victory. Durant’s miss and Eason’s agonizingly late tip-in, however, sealed their fate.
Looking ahead, both teams will meet again at the Moda Center on Friday, setting up what feels like a mini-playoff series. “It’s good that we play them again,” Durant said. “It’s like a mini-playoff series when you play these teams two games in a row. So I love what the NBA is doing with that. We’ll look forward to (Thursday) watching film and then play them again next game.”
For now, the Trail Blazers can savor a wild win, powered by Avdija’s brilliance and just enough late-game poise. The Rockets, meanwhile, are left to wonder what might have been, knowing they’ll have a shot at redemption in just a couple of days. The Moda Center crowd certainly got their money’s worth—and then some. Next up: the rematch everyone’s waiting for.
