PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Trail Blazers love to shoot 3-point shots, but they are not in the same league as the Houston Rockets in that regard.The Rockets warmed up for Sundays Moda Center matchup by attempting an NBA-record 50 shots from beyond the arc in a 117-104 victory at Sacramento on Friday night.Houston (10-6) made 21 treys against the Kings, including 14 in the first half. The Rockets came within two of matching the NBA mark of 23 makes they share with Orlando.I dont mind it, but Id like to get the record for the most makes, not just the most attempts, first-year Houston coach Mike DAntoni told the media.If thats what theyre giving us, thats what well take. We had good looks, and if a guy has a good look, then hes free to shoot it.James Harden was only 3 of 11 on 3-point shots but had a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Rockets, who attempt an NBA-high 36 treys per game.Houston has made at least 10 3-pointers in its last 15 games, one shy of the NBA record.This is the style of play weve built around James, and we have shooters, said forward Ryan Anderson, who was 3 for 7 from 3-point range and scored 13 points.The great part about it is, it didnt seem like we took 50 (3-point shots). They were in rhythm, they were good looks, and those are shots we normally take.Portland (9-9) shoots an average of a little more than 30 3-pointers a game, sixth-most in the league. The Blazers were 12 for 32 from beyond the stripe in a 119-104 victory over New Orleans on Friday night.However, the story of that one was the Trail Blazers dominance inside against the Pelicans. Portland won the battle in total rebounds (52-34), offensive rebounds (12-2), points in the paint (64-34) and second-chance points (23-2).Although they entered Friday night ranked last in the NBA in rebound percentage, the Blazers have outboarded their opponent in four of the last five games.Weve done a better job on the boards over those games, Stotts told the media after the New Orleans game. We were harping on the rebounding, and it has really improved. It was a big factor for us tonight.The Blazers also entered Friday ranked last in the NBA in defensive efficiency (109.7 rating) and opponents scoring (113.4). Stotts was pleased with his teams defense through most of the final three quarters against the Pelicans.Offensively, we were pretty good most of the night, Stotts said.0 Defensively, we were good after about two minutes into the second quarter. Weve had some struggles, and we needed to get back on track. We did that tonight.Forward Ed Davis would like to see a larger sample size in evaluating the Blazers defense.Im not going to judge it on one game, Davis said. Im glad we got this win, but we had some lapses (in which) we could have done better.Its just one game, man. Im not going to say after one game, problem solved -- you know? Clint Dempsey Jersey . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Sacha Kljestan Jersey . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. http://www.usasoccerauthority.com/michael-bradley-usa-jersey/ ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. Jorge Villafana USA Jersey . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. Tim Ream Jersey . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. Editors note: Howard Bryant made his way around the US Open on Tuesday. Below are his rapid reactions to the days events.NEW YORK -- If there was a common theme that permeated the grounds on Day 2 of the US Open, it was trust. Do the players who are elite but not in the class of Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray trust that they have the ability to win this championship? And what is it about this handful of players that gives pause to my trust in them?Match 1GRANDSTAND: Kei Nishikori def. Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3There is unquestionable brilliance in Nishikori. The backhand is clean, deadly, confident. The footwork is textbook. The forehand whips and slashes. He is one of the games great returners. Hes the world No. 7 who two years ago on these grounds beat Novak Djokovic and reached his only Grand Slam final. Nishikori has been around forever and is only 26 years old. He just beat Rafael Nadal in Rio to win a bronze medal.Yet, and I feel almost guilty to say it about a player so talented, I dont trust Nishikori because of that serve, that pancake serve of his. The numbers say Im wrong. Even when he was rolling 6-1, 6-1 against Becker, he was converting only 50 percent of his first serves. On the year, hes at 61.2, 33rd on tour, which is not good but is higher than Andy Murray. Murray wins more of his first-serve points, however. Nishikori is 40th. He was tossing in 96 mph first serves, 82 mph seconds.On Nishikoris second serve, Becker got great, aggressive swings, but Nishikori still won 68 percent of his second serves. For the match, he held 14 of 16 service games. Still, I remain unsure. If a 35-year old journeyman such as Becker could take home run cuts on Nishikoris serve, just imagine what a Djokovic or Murray would do.Maybe theres no way out for Nishikori. Hes 5-foot-10 in a game of giants. Hes never going to serve like Ivo Karlovic, and to believe in Nishikori is to believe his legs and game can overcome his underpowered service game. No player under 6-foot has won a Slam since Lleyton Hewitt won Wimbledon in 2002. But maybe thats also why trust is sometimes irrational, because in the end, despite the third-set dip Tuesday, Nishikori pretty much destroyed Becker and did exactly what he was supposed to do in a first-round match: win, and win convincingly.Match 2ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM: Stan Waawrinka def.dddddddddddd Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4Whats not to trust about the Wawrinka? He denied Nadal a 15th major by winning his first Slam at the 2014 Australian Open. Wawrinka denied Novak Djokovic his first French Open and a career Grand Slam by winning at Roland Garros for the first time in 2015. Wawrinka has beaten Andy Murray three of their last four meetings, including a straight-sets beatdown here in 2013, when Murray was defending champion. Wawrinka, who has been as high as third in the world, beat Roger Federer at the Australian Open and teamed with Federer to win the Davis Cup for Switzerland. Wawrinka belongs.Nothing he did against Verdasco hurt that resume. Wawrinka was better when he had to be and backed off and watched Verdasco implode as he does with that special Fernando mix of spectacular forehands followed by crushing double faults and butchered volleys. And who knew the first set tiebreak was going to mean so much? Verdasco won the first point on Wawrinkas serve, and then lost the next three and didnt win a really important exchange for the rest of the match. Wawrinka played like the guy who is supposed to handle business and get off a hot court in the early rounds of a tournament: nothing to see here.The problem is that after winning two majors and being a top-five player, theres something about Wawrinkas game that still plays like a puncher. He is the streakiest, most dangerous player in tennis -- far more dangerous than shot-makers such as Fabio Fognini or machine-gun servers such as Karlovic and John Isner, who can have a day and beat anyone. Unlike those guys, Wawrinka has proved that he can be hot enough and good enough to win the whole thing.Its the Other Side of Stan -- losing to No. 114 Juan Monaco in Rome, a Masters 1000, crashing out to Andrey Kuznetsov in Miami, another Masters event - that causes the trust issues to arise. Wawrinka has too many dips for a great player, giving pause to the great lie that after winning a major, players will automatically be elevated to the upper class. Not true (see Stosur, Samantha).Still, Wawrinka is through to the second round -- but, because the Other Side of Stan is always lurking, the trust issues remain. ' ' '