HOUSTON -- In the postgame locker room after the Houston Rockets 126-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, James Harden teased teammates, laughed about excess shower water caught in his beard and joked with reporters.It was a stark contrast from the more solemn and stern version of Harden from last season.Ive been having fun all year, even in games we lose, Harden said. This is a special group of guys, coaching staff included, and this locker room is definitely enjoying this ride right now.Harden had 26 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season to help the Rockets overwhelm the Trail Blazers in their highest-scoring game of the season.Harden completed the triple-double in the third quarter. The Rockets rebounded a night after scoring just three points in the final 6 minutes of a 105-103 loss in Oklahoma City.Its the chemistry, Rockets coach Mike DAntoni said. Everybody is feeling good about themselves. Were going to make mistakes, and we still have some improving to do, but as long as they come with that attitude every day and work at it and fix their mistakes, good things will happen.C.J. McCollum led Portland with 26 points, Maurice Harkless had 19, and Damian Lillard 18, his second-lowest output of the season.We kind of suck right now -- its that simple, Lillard said. Were usually a pretty good offensive team. Weve been bad on offense and bad on defense. Were trying hard, but were not making the smartest plays -- just not good enough. Were not very good right now.Blazers coach Terry Stotts was much less harsh in his assessment of his teams second straight loss. Portland outscored Houston by a combined 12 points in the second and fourth quarters but was ultimately doomed by a 29-point deficit in the first and third quarters.The game was tied at 62 at halftime, but Houston took a 100-83 lead into the fourth quarter.Theyre very good at what they do and Harden is key to that, Stotts said. Houston is a very good offensive team -- its a challenge to guard them.Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley made his season debut after missing the first 11 games following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Limited to 25 minutes, Beverley had 11 points, three assists and three blocks.Our defense is getting a lot better with him out there because of his toughness, DAntoni said about Beverley. He is smart and plays with an edge. Youve got to have that.Playing without backup center Nene, Houston frequently featured smaller lineups with Montrezl Harrell filling in with interior defense while starting center Clint Capela was on the bench. Capela had 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Harrell added nine points and eight rebounds off the bench.TIP-INSTrail Blazers: McCollum made his first six field-goal attempts and had 19 points at the half. ... Portland was outrebounded 54-41 and outscored 56-48 in the paint. ... Mason Plumlee had eight rebounds and seven assists. ... Al-Farouq Aminu (calf) missed his fifth straight game.Rockets: Despite posting a season-high 41 points in the first quarter, Houston was scoreless for the first 2 minutes. ... In the second game of a back-to-back veteran center Nene was given the night off for rest. ... Houston made 14 of 32 3-pointers (43.8 percent).BEVERLEYS NEW LOOKIn his season debut, Beverley sported a shorter haircut and a slightly leaner frame than he did at the end of last season.Losing a lot of weight really helped me change my body, Beverley said. I felt strong, I felt fast and my wind is going to come. I felt really good and felt confident, too.WHOSE HOUSE? COOGS HOUSEThe Toyota Center crowd erupted for the loudest ovation of the game early in the fourth quarter when highlights from the University of Houstons Thursday night game against No. 8 Louisville were shown on the videoboard alongside an up-to-date score showing the Cougars up 31-0. The games were played simultaneously three miles apart.UP NEXTTrail Blazers: Travel to New Orleans on Friday night.Rockets: Host Utah on Saturday night. Minnesota Timberwolves Store . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Stitched Timberwolves Jerseys . JOHNS, N. https://www.cheaptimberwolves.com/380j-joe-smith-jersey-timberwolves.html . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Fake Timberwolves Jerseys . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Cheap Timberwolves Jerseys . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Kimi Raikkonen says there is no clear-cut reason why Ferrari has been unable to replicate its Suzuka pace in Austin after settling for the third row of the grid for the U.S. Grand Prix.Ferrari out-qualified both Red Bulls in Japan but slipped back to the third row of the grid on Saturday. Raikkonen, who out-qualified teammate Sebastian Vettel, was 0.6s slower than the fastest Red Bull and he admits Ferrari is struggling in a number of places.When asked how important it would be to beat either Red Bull, but especially Max Verstappen (who starts on softs), off the line, Raikkonen replied: The start is the easiest place to make positions up, but I never said I expected to be as quick as in Suzuka. Hoping is a different thing, but this is where we are.Unfortunately we are not like in Suzuka, but weve seen that before, it changes froom circuit to circuit, but the car is behaving pretty OK.dddddddddddd. There were no big issues but we just need more downforce, more power to go faster around the lap. Its not a particular thing, its many things, but the balance of the car was OK, we werent just fast around the lap.Raikkonen says there is nothing left for Ferrari to do but re-group and focus on the grand prix.We just have to go faster around the lap, the tyres are behaving as we were expecting, the conditions are what they are, windy in a few places, but overall today its been good, compared to yesterday, its just the end result is not very good, not what we wanted, but its the reality today. We try to work and do our best tomorrow. ' ' '