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HOUSTON -- LaMarcus Aldridges son JJ, who turned 5 on Wednesday, texted him after the Portland Trail Blazers playoff win and told him he looked like Spider-Man on one of his dunks. To the Houston Rockets the Portland star probably looked like a superhero on more than just that one play. Aldridge continued his dominance against the Rockets, scoring 43 points to lift the Trail Blazers to a 112-105 victory and a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series. Aldridge has made the most of the return to his home state and put the Trail Blazers in control heading home for Game 3 in Portland on Friday. The former University of Texas star who grew up in Dallas laughed heartily and said maybe when asked if hed rather stay in the Lone Star state after the way hes played in the first two games. "(Leading) 2-0 going home feels great, but its not over," he said. "Were going to stay hungry, stay humble and go home and try to duplicate the same (success)." Aldridge became the first player with consecutive games of 43 points games in the playoffs since Tracy McGrady did it in April 2003 after scoring a career-high and franchise playoff-record 46 in an overtime win in Game 1. Hes also the first player Trail Blazers history to have two 40-point games in the post-season and his 89 points in a teams first two playoff games trail only Michael Jordan (1986, 1988) and Jerry West (1965) in the last 50 years. Hes helped the Trail Blazers win two road games to start a playoff series for just the second time in franchise history and the first since they took the first two against the Lakers in the 1977 Western Conference Finals. Damian Lillard made six free throws down the stretch to help out in the win. But the guard gave all the credit for the win to Aldridge. "What can they do to stop him? He was great once again, just like Game 1," Lillard said. "When a lot of guys couldnt get going and couldnt hit shots, he just carried us. He played like an MVP again." The Rockets spent the last two days of practice focused on how to slow Aldridge down, but nothing they did seemed to faze the 6-foot-11 player. "We tried changing it up tonight," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "Tonight, he was picking and popping and moving and we were having trouble running people at him. We were trying to get the ball out of his hands as much as we could." Aldridge credited coach Terry Stotts for moving him around early in the game to help evade Houstons double-teams. "I made tough shots," Aldridge said. "I dont think too much was easy tonight. I just got in that rhythm and started making shots." James Harden knocked down a 3-pointer with about 30 seconds left to get the Rockets within 3. Lillard made two free throws before Harden fouled out about 10 seconds later. Mo Williams and Lillard both made a pair of free throws after that to secure the win. Lillard finished with 18 points. Dwight Howard was unstoppable early and scored 25 points in the first half, but managed just seven in the second half. After missing 20 shots in Game 1, Harden promised a better performance in this game. But it was much of the same as he was 6 of 19 and finished with 18 points. "We dont have our same flow, our same mojo that we had throughout the season," Harden said. "We dont have our same swag ... weve got to get that back." The Rockets trailed by nine points before a 5-0 run cut the lead to 102-98 with about a minute left. Both teams made a pair of free throws after that before Lillard found Wesley Matthews wide open for a reverse layup to make it 106-100 with 33 seconds left. A one-handed dunk by Aldridge over Omer Asik gave Portland a 96-87 lead with about five minutes left. With Aldridge on the bench to start the fourth, Houston scored the first four points of the period to cut the lead to two points, but Williams and Dorell Wright made consecutive 3s to make it 89-81 midway through the quarter. Aldridge made 10 of Portlands first 14 points of the second half to help the Trail Blazers build a 67-58 lead with about eight minutes left in the quarter. Houston scored the next nine points, with the last five from Chandler Parsons, to tie it at 67 a couple of minutes later. Portland an 83-77 led entering the fourth quarter. The Trail Blazers scored seven straight points to take a 53-51 lead late in the second quarter, but Beverleys basket at the buzzer tied it at halftime. Howard scored Houstons first 13 points and had 19 -- with five dunks -- by the end of the first quarter to help the Rockets to a 31-23 lead. NOTES: Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, who has been working with Howard this week, watched the game from a courtside seat. ... Wright finished with 15 points. ... Howards 19 points in the first quarter were a franchise-high for a quarter in the playoffs, surpassing the 18 Olajuwon scored against Utah on May 5, 1995. Luis Gonzalez Astros Jersey . On Saturday, the paths of Drew Tate and Kevin Glenn cross again as opposing quarterbacks. Wade Miley Jersey . He, the 25-year-old Toronto backup net-minder and Manitoba native, would be making just his fourth start in the past 16 games against the Jets the following evening. It was the word of opportunity for Reimer, who has fallen into the role of backup, outmatched in recent weeks by Jonathan Bernier, his Quebec counterpart. https://www.cheapastros.com/2513o-rusty-...sey-astros.html. Sam, who joined the Cowboys in early September, has spent the entire season on the practice roster. Andy Pettitte Astros Jersey . -- Jerome Verrier scored once and set up two more as the Drummondville Voltigeurs downed the visiting Chicoutimi Sagueneens 5-1 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. Cesar Geronimo Jersey . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks flipped the script from last season in their opener with their potent power play failing to generate a goal while the even strength play dominated. One constant remained. They still have Vancouvers number. Justin Braun scored his first goal in more than 19 months to break a tie late in the second period and the Sharks went on to beat the Canucks 4-1 Thursday night in the season opener for both teams. Despite coming up empty on seven power plays including a rare 2-minute, two-man advantage, the Sharks got all their goals in 5-on-5 play after ranking 28th in the league last season in even-strength scoring. "Were going to be fine on the power play," captain Joe Thornton said. "Im not concerned about that at all and I dont think anybody is. It just was nice to get four goals 5-on-5 for a change and let our 5-on-5 game win us the game. Brent Burns, Patrick Marleau and Tommy Wingels also scored for the Sharks, who have won eight straight against the Canucks including a sweep in the first round of the playoffs last season. Antti Niemi made 21 saves. Jason Garrison scored a power-play goal and Roberto Luongo made 31 saves for the Canucks, who lost in the debut of new coach John Tortorella. "We had a couple of breakdowns but its all a learning curve," centre Ryan Kesler said. "We want to be aggressive. Thats who we are. Thats our identity. I thought we played hard and played smart." The Canucks opened this season on the same ice they ended the last one on after the disappointing early playoff exit led to the firing of coach Alain Vigneault. Tortorella arrived and preached toughness and tighter defensive play and got results on an improved penalty-kill unit. The Canucks allowed seven power-play goals in the four playoff games last season. But Vancouver still wound up on the short end as San Jose got the better of the even-strength play and did not let the blown 5-on-3 chance tilt the momentum in the second period. The Sharks got that prime chance when Kesler interfered with Niemi at one end and before the next whistle, Garrison was called for tripping Joe Thornton. Luongo stopped all three shots on the two-man advantage, including tough saves against Patrick Marleau annd Logan Couture.ddddddddddddBut the Sharks still scored twice in the period to erase an early deficit. "Were a veteran group, so we got over it," Couture said. "Obviously, our power play needs to get a lot better moving forward, but I thought we played a pretty good game for the first game of the year." The first came when Thornton took the puck from Garrison in the neutral zone. Rookie Tomas Hertl slid a pass to Burns, who beat Luongo with a wrister to tie it at 1 early in the period. "We made way too many mistakes," Garrison said. "You never want to leave the goalie hanging like that." Late in the period, Brauns shot from the point got through a screen by Couture for his first goal since Feb. 10, 2012. Braun had gone 85 games, including the playoffs, without a goal. Niemi made that lead stand up, helping kill two penalties in the third period and making a sharp pad save to rob Chris Higgins midway through the period. "It was a quick play," Niemi said. "I just tried to cover the passing lane from behind the net and then just saw him shooting so I tried to stop it with the pad. Luckily, I got it." Marleau and Wingels added insurance goals late in the third. Luongo was sharp early in his first game back as the No. 1 goalie in Vancouver after the off-season trade of Cory Schneider to New Jersey. Luongo stopped all 16 shots in the opening period as the Canucks took a 1-0 lead on Garrisons power-play goal after the first of two penalties on Burns. The Sharks got the better of the play after that, but Luongo made a sharp glove save on Scott Hannan, stopped Joe Pavelski on a short-handed breakaway and turned aside a tip attempt by Couture in the final minute of the period. "We had a really good start," Tortorella said. "The first 10 minutes we played the way we should. Then after we scored, we turned a couple over and we lost the momentum." NOTES: D Ryan Stanton, claimed off waivers from Chicago earlier this week, made his Vancouver debut. ... Hertl, 19, and F Matt Nieto, 20, made their NHL debuts, becoming the first two Sharks born after the franchises first game on Oct. 4, 1991. Hertl got his first career point with an assist on Burns goal. ' ' '