to take his

best shot

JASON QUICK

HOUSTON --The way Travis Outlaw sees it, one of these days the Trail Blazers are bound to play well in Houston's Toyota Center, where Portland has lost 10 of the last 11 meetings with the Rockets.

quot;In all my (six) years here, I don't think we have ever got hot there,quot; Outlaw said. quot;So I think we are bound to have a game where we have unbelievable shooting . . . like they had in Game 1.quot;

Outlaw knows he would be a good place for the Blazers to start that hot shooting. In the first two games of the series, the Blazers' top reserve has been noticeably quiet, averaging 8.5 points while shooting 7 of 19 from the field (36.8 percent). After making a career-high 89 three-pointers in the regular season, Outlaw is 0 for 3 in the series.

quot;I'm going to need to pick it up a little more,quot; Outlaw said. quot;Be a little more aggressive. When I've got a shot, I've got to take it.quot;

After Game 2, when Brandon Roy had 42 points and LaMarcus Aldridge 27, Outlaw's 3 of 9 night was largely forgotten by fans. However, it didn't escape coach Nate McMillan, who pulled Outlaw aside before the team's practice the next day.

quot;I told him, of Brandon's 42, 12 of them should have been yours,quot; McMillan said. quot;And of LaMarcus' 27, probably about seven of those should have been yours. So they covered for him. But we are going to need him. Normally, he is that third guy for us.quot;

Outlaw, who averaged 12.8 points in the regular season, admits he has been plagued in part by indecision and in part by the in-your-face defense of Ron Artest and Shane Battier. The biggest basket he made in the series, a 13-foot jumper with 3:25 left in Game 2 that gave the Blazers a 93-90 lead, came on Von Wafer, the Rockets' top offensive player off the bench.

Roy said Outlaw's shot was important, because it forced Houston coach Rick Adelman to replace Wafer, who had scored 21 points, with Battier, who provides defense but scored just three points.

quot;We said, 'If you are going to keep Von in the game, we are going to attack Von,' quot; Roy said. quot;They had to take out Von and put Battier back in. That's playoff Basketball . . . strategies.quot;

Outlaw said he isn't concerned about his statistics as long as he helps the team in some way, shape or form.

quot;I feel like as long as I occupy a defender and he doesn't leave me, then I know I'm making it easier for Brandon, LaMarcus or Rudy (Fernandez) to get their shot,quot; Outlaw said. quot;If I can keep those guys worrying about me, then I think it can help the team.quot;

Aldridge's family matter: Aldridge was excused from the team's flight from Portland to Houston so he could tend to a family matter in his hometown of Dallas. He missed Thursday's practice but was expected to rejoin the team Thursday night and be ready for today's shootaround.

Rodriguez out? After Game 1, McMillan decided to remove Channing Frye from the rotation. After Game 2, it appears backup point guard Sergio Rodriguez could be headed to the bench for good.

Rodriguez played three minutes in the first half of Game 2, recording one rebound and one assist, but never returned as McMillan opted to play Roy, Fernandez and Steve Blake at point guard. McMillan was non-committal on Rodriguez's status for the rest of the series, but didn't rule out that he would be removed from the rotation.

quot;Possibly,quot; McMillan said. quot;But I think we are going to need all of our guys. But with Brandon at the point with Rudy, we are bigger and we have to find a way to defend as well as shoot the ball and keep their offense honest.quot;

The Blazers thought they caught the Rockets off guard when they moved the 6-foot-6 Roy to point guard against speedy 6-0 Aaron Brooks. They expect the Rockets to be ready for a countermove in Game 3.