PORTLAND, Ore. — Brandon Roy made a 30-foot jumper as time expired in overtime to lift the Portland Trail Blazers to a thrilling 101-99 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers, who snapped a five-game losing streak to the Rockets in a game that featured three dramatic shots in the final 1.9 seconds.

Roy first hit a turnaround 21-footer that put the Blazers up 98-96 and sent a sold-out Rose Garden into a frenzy. But Yao Ming scored and drew a foul against Roy on the other end with 0.8 seconds left, then made the free throw to give Houston the lead.

Portland called timeout and the inbounds play went to Roy, who swished the winner to send a charge through the delirious crowd.

Tracy McGrady scored 24 of his 30 points after halftime and Luis Scola had 14 for the Rockets (3-2), who absorbed a difficult loss in the opener a five-game road trip.

Roy finished six for 18 from the field and had 17 points for Portland, which last beat the Rockets on Dec. 20, 2006.

Portland led by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter but McGrady rallied the Rockets, and both teams had a chance to win it in regulation. Roy drove to the basket with 10.1 seconds left but Ron Artest got in front of him, causing him to kick the ball. McGrady couldn’t convert an alley-oop inbound pass at the buzzer, sending the game to an extra period.

Blazers fans didn’t get to see a long-awaited meeting between prized rookie center Greg Oden and Yao. Oden has been out since the first game with a sprained foot.

Yao, who was just four of 14 in Houston’s 103-99 home loss to Boston on Tuesday, continued to struggle. He mad just four of 13 shots and had 14 points.

Rudy Fernandez scored five straight points in the fourth quarter to help Portland open an 81-71 lead.

But Artest hit a three at 7:02 and McGrady scored five straight points to cut the Trail Blazers’ lead to 84-83.

Fernandez had 15 points for the Blazers. Aaron Brooks scored 14 for Houston.

Also on Thursday:

Magic 98

76ers 88

ORLANDO, Fla. — Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis scored 20 points apiece and Orlando overcame Dwight Howard’s foul trouble to beat Philadelphia. With All-Star center Howard limited to only four minutes in the first half, the Magic got strong performances from Tony Battie and Lewis, who picked up the rebounding slack as Orlando won its third straight game. Thaddeus Young scored 19 points for Philadelphia, which placed four players in double figures. The Sixers cut a 23-point deficit to six in the fourth quarter but couldn’t draw closer.

No place like home for Denver’s Billups

DENVER — Chauncey Billups’ vertical has diminished and his speed in the open court slowed.

That’s fine with the Denver Nuggets — they just like him for his winning touch.

The Mile High City native led the Detroit Pistons to six straight Eastern Conference finals with his impeccable decision-making abilities and clutch shooting.

That’s why the Nuggets acquired Billups, along with Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb, from Detroit this week for Allen Iverson.

They like his no-nonsense attitude when it comes to winning.

“I’m coming to work, I’m coming to win,” Billups said Thursday. “If guys want to win, they’re going to fall in line. That’s all I play for — that’s the only reason I play — is to win.”

Billups is a celebrity around Denver, a high school prodigy who went on to play at the University of Colorado. Billups couldn’t wait to get back for a second stint in Denver.

After all, Billups’ first time in town didn’t go as he expected — he was forced to play shooting guard with Nick Van Exel already running the show and later dislocated his left shoulder, requiring season-ending surgery.

“When I first came back here, I was like the hometown kid coming back,” Billups said. “Now I’m a man. I’m not the same, as far as my game goes.”

— From wire reports