"Jordan Hill got loose under the rim, taking a pass from Jermaine Taylor and slamming it with two fists and a bit of a chin-up.

It was far from his first moment bending the rim in Las Vegas. It was not even his first slam of the day. But it was different.

With the last of his four buckets Sunday, he seemed to release the frustration of a game gone wrong.

Hill was far from alone in his struggles. The Rockets were overwhelmed from the start, falling behind by 27 points and losing 84-67 to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Chase Budinger had his best game of the tournament, scoring 21 points, on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Taylor had 13, including a 50-footer at the buzzer. But the Rockets big men struggled.

Hill, 6-10, was more comfortable when he could defend his man than when he had to be the center behind the defense protecting the rim. He struggled to be a go-to low-post scorer."