FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
Piling on the points
1 The Rockets have the league’s worst defensive rating, the Blazers the second worst. But since the All-Star break, the Blazers have been allowing 124.3 points per 100 possessions, ranking last in the NBA defensively, while the Rockets have given up 115.5, ranking 20th.
Turnover turnabout is fair play
2 For once, the Rockets will play a team that gives up even more points off turnovers than they do. The Rockets still allow the most points off turnovers in the NBA. But in March, the Blazers have been giving up an average of 21.4, the most in the NBA, roughly the average the Rockets have allowed this season and 3.6 per game more than the Rockets have given up in that stretch. The Rockets would like to take advantage of Portland turnovers as teams have against them all season.
Homecoming, sort of
3 After 128 games in the NBA, Kevin Porter Jr. will play for the first time in Portland, as close as the NBA comes to his hometown of Seattle. Porter did not play in the Rockets’ previous game against the Blazers, but had 18 points, five assists and five rebounds in the first meeting this season. Porter had 11 points with five assists in the loss in Dallas on Wednesday.
A Jalen Green bounce back?
4 Rockets rookie Jalen Green has failed to score in double figures in two of his past three games after scoring at least 10 points in 22 consecutive games. When he previously scored just eight points against the Grizzlies, he came back the next game to score 17 with six rebounds and five assists, with the Rockets outscoring the Wizards by 28 when he was on the floor.
Get a program
5 With so many players expected to be out, the Blazers will have one player likely starting that has ever played for Portland against the Rockets, rookie Trendon Watford, who played 15 minutes in one of the two games against the Rockets this season. The Blazers are likely to start two players, Drew Eubanks and Kris Dunn, who are on 10-day contracts. Eubanks played in just one of three games against the Rockets when he was with the Spurs, but scored 13 points off the bench, making 6 of 9 shots and grabbing nine rebounds in just 15 minutes.
INJURY/STATUS REPORT
Rockets: Guard John Wall (not with team,) forward Trevelin Queen (G League assignment) and forward Anthony Lamb (G League assignment) are out.
Trail Blazers: Guard Eric Bledsoe (left Achilles,) forward/ guard Josh Hart (patellar tendinopathy left knee,) forward Joe Ingles (left knee recovery,) guard Damian Lillard (core muscle recovery,) guard Nassir Little (left shoulder recovery,) forward Didi Louzada (left knee recovery,) center Jusuf Nurkic (left foot plantar fasciitis,) guard Anfernee Simons (left knee tendinopathy) and center Justise Winslow (left calf inflammation) are out.