Rockets flash their championship abilities once again in win vs Trail Blazers

As the Houston Rockets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 140-116, to pull to a 1-1 record in NBA Cup play and an 8-3 record on the season, they were able to match their opponents' intensity, beating them at their own game en route to another dominant offensive performance.

As the Rockets attempt to establish themselves as serious championship contenders this season, they will need to be able to put forward a variety of offensive attacks in order to account for the sheer amount of competition they will see in the Western Conference.

Their handy victory over a scrappy Portland team is an excellent sign for their ability to do so.

The Rockets' offense is not only potent but also deeply versatile

Although the Trail Blazers were 5-5 on the season before coming into Houston, it was easy to predict that they were not going to be an easy team to beat. With a budding young core and an emerging defensive identity, Portland has placed a heavy emphasis on forcing turnovers and beating opponents in transition this season.

Through their first 10 games, they were second in pace in the NBA, only trailing the blazing fast Miami Heat.

As the game started, it seemed as though the Rockets might struggle to contain and contend with the Trail Blazer's hectic offensive attack. Portland jumped out to an immediate lead in the first half of the first quarter, but, rather quickly, it seemed as though Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun flipped a switch.

In seemingly the blink of an eye, Houston put up a 41-point first quarter and, apart from a threatening Portland run in the third quarter, never looked back. They had three 20-point scorers in the game (Sengun, Durant and Jabari Smith Jr.), and Sengun was only one assist shy of a triple-double.

Moreover, they won the turnover battle by a large margin: an impressive feat against a team that led the NBA in turnovers forced per game heading into the matchup.

It must be acknowledged that Tari Eason left the game with a hip contusion in the second quarter, and it remains to be seen what the extent of his injury will be. Were he to miss time, Houston's depth would take a major hit.

Nevertheless, the Rockets continue to show their ability to adapt to whatever the game situation demands, and the variety of forms that their offensive attack is capable of taking on from game to game is the stuff that contenders are made of.

Their win against the Trail Blazers, therefore, represents more than a resurrection of their chances of making it out of NBA Cup group play. It represents yet another sign that this team is for real this year.