GAME 2

Tuesday at Portland 9 p.m. TV/radio: NBA TV, KTXH; 610 AM, 850 AM

GAME 3

April 24 at Toyota Center 8:30 p.m. TV/radio: ESPN, KTXH; 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

GAME 4

April 26 at Toyota Center 8 p.m. TV/radio: TNT, KTXH; 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

GAME 5 *

April 28 at Portland TBD TV/radio: TBD, KTXH; 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

GAME 6 *

April 30 at Toyota Center TBD TV/radio: TBD, KTXH; 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

GAME 7 *

May 2 at Portland TBD TV/radio: TNT, KTXH; 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

* -if necessary

Coming saturday: A special preview of the NBA playoffs, including the Rockets-Blazers matchup.

Yao Ming had been bringing it up for weeks.

In comments unsolicited, sometimes even irrelevant, he spoke often about the Rockets' recent playoff history and his search to get beyond the first round. The goals, he kept saying, were clear and abundant, listing them in order and repeating them like a mantra.

"Get out of the first round," he said. "Get out of the first round. Get out of the first round."

Yao never has. The Rockets have often been reminded that the franchise has not advanced since 1997, losing six consecutive first-round series. There has become no point in trying to ignore the obvious, particularly with the Rockets to begin another search for first-round success Saturday in Portland.

"I mean, I've been on this team seven years and never got (past the first round)," Yao said of his openness on the subject. "That will be the basic goal, right there. Let's go get the experience right now, this year."

But the Rockets said the history is about their franchise, not their team. For the Rockets, everything, every win or loss, every transaction, every trend, is viewed for what it might reveal about the postseason to come. But coach Rick Adelman said this team is responsible only for this season.

"People are asking me, ?Can you get out of the first round?'?" Adelman said. "That first-round stuff, I mean, this team is not the team that lost the first rounds. We're not even close to the same team entering the playoffs last year.

"I don't buy into any of that stuff that this franchise has lost so many first-round games. It's a totally different team. We're just going out there trying to win the playoff series. We know we're going to have a very tough series. You work hard all year to get to a particular spot. Then the playoffs are fun."

The Rockets have changed their roster and rotation considerably since last season, but only three players - Dikembe Mutombo, Ron Artest and Brent Barry - have advanced past the first round.

Experience counts

But Adelman said he was not concerned about the playoff inexperience, and not only because the Trail Blazers have less playoff experience (only Steve Blake, Joel Przybilla and the injured Raef LaFrentz have played postseason games, with only LaFrentz advancing.)

"I think this team is going to be ready to play," Adelman said. "They've answered the call too many times. Whether we're going to win, I don't know. I think they're going to be ready to play. I think there is no doubt they do (have the right approach). They've been through a lot of adversity and have responded to it.

"Defensively, we've been very capable all year. Offensively in the fourth quarter is going to be where we'll find out, where we'll be tested. We've struggled a little bit there. Teams are going to change the way they play Yao. They're not going to let us just go to him. That's going to be the test. But I think we've worked on it enough. We've talked about it enough. I think we're going to be better. But teams will take things away from you. They're going to do it in the playoffs. They always do."

Teams have taken away Yao at times in the regular season, and most recently Wednesday in Dallas. In the playoffs, the defense is tougher, the game plans more focused, making the Rockets' often shaky ability to execute under duress more vital.

"I always take away at the end of every series how fragile every game is, how important every possession is," Shane Battier said. "The small mistakes you make during the year that you can get away with, you can't get away with in the playoffs. "

But the Rockets said they will not be burdened by the years they and their predecessors went home quickly.

"This is our group," Battier said. "Every group is different."

The chapters lead to this. If the Rockets will not carry the weight of all 12 years and the past disappointments, few teams know better how they will be viewed and remembered.

The ultimate benchmark

"If we go far in the playoffs, that will say it was a good season," forward Luis Scola said. "The playoffs determine everything. At the end of the day, if we get far in the playoffs, that is a good season.

"If we win the conference, that's a very good season. If we win a championship, that's a great season.

"If you lose in the first round, you always have that. Yeah, you played good. You won so many games, but you lost in the first round."

After all these years, there was no point in denying it.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

FRUITLESS SPRINGS

The Rockets are one of nine NBA franchises to have lost a record seven consecutive playoff series:

Rockets 1997-

Timberwolves 1997 to 2003

Nuggets 1994-

Magic 1996 to 2007

Trail Blazers 1992 to 1998

Nets 1984 to 1998

Bullets/Wizards 1982 to 1997

Cavaliers 1976 to 1990

Royals/Kings 1964 to 1980