For the first time since 1997 the Houston Rockets will reach the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs after they beat the Portland Trail Blazers 92-76 on Thursday night.

Ron Artest led the Rockets with 27 points, while Yao Ming added 17 with 10 rebounds.

“It’s a big step for me,” Ming said. “Even when the clock was running down, I’m still not believing that it’s coming true. Obviously now that we know that feeling, we’ve got to keep moving forward.”

We don’t have the Rockets making it very far but they deserve credit for taking care of business over Portland.

The Rockets will take on the Lakers next, starting on Monday night.