Blazers await in final back-to-back
SALT LAKE CITY — The Rockets’ final games of the season offer a last chance to take on their issues in back-to-backs, going from Thursday’s game against the Jazz to Friday against the Trail Blazers.
The Rockets are just 3-10 in the second game of back-to-backs, going 0-6 when both games are on the road.
The game will be the third of four straight to close the season with a team playing its home finale, with the Rockets winning Tuesday at Toyota Center before playing the Jazz and Blazers. The Rockets’ game in Los Angeles on Sunday will be the final regular-season game ever for the Clippers as the home team at Crypto.com Arena.
That will give the Blazers a reason to value the game, with little chance of changing their position in the draft lottery.
They are unlikely to use the all-rookie starting lineup the Rockets saw in their previous trip to Portland, with center Deandre Ayton back and Jabari Walker typically starting.
The Trail Blazers are still young and shorthanded, going into Thursday’s game against the Warriors with losses in 12 of 14 games and playing without Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon, Matisse Thybulle, Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant. Dalano Banton, who had 28 and 30 points against the Rockets, his second and third most in a game this season, was questionable on Thursday with a sprained ankle.
Make it make sense
The Rockets made 53.2% of their shots in the game they lost in overtime to the Trail Blazers and 39.8% in the game they won in the most recent meeting.
It took a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Grant to force overtime in a game that was part of the Rockets’ midseason missteps against losing teams.
The difference between the Rockets’ wins and loss to Portland, could be the Trail Blazers’ turnover issues and the Rockets’ ability to take care of the ball, the area they most effectively turned around since they were in the Blazers’ position with one of the top five selections going into the draft lottery.
The Rockets had fewer than 10 turnovers in all three games against the Trail Blazers, with more steals (27) than turnovers (24) in those games. The Trail Blazers averaged 15.3 turnovers against the Rockets, leading to an average of 19.7 Rockets points in those games, 11 more than the Trail Blazers averaged.
This was not unexpected. The Trail Blazers allow an average of 19.2 points off turnovers per game, second-most in the NBA. The Rockets allowed 20.6 last season, the most in the league. They allow 14.9 this season, the fifth-fewest.
Board to death
The Trail Blazers are fourth in the NBA in second-chance points per game. This is not because they miss a lot of shots, giving them more opportunities to have second chances.
They are third in offensive rebounding percentage, getting the rebound on 31.7% of their misses, and went into Thursday first in April’s five games, getting 35.5% of the available offensive rebounds.
The Rockets’ defensive rebounding has slipped since the March winning streak, ranking 19th in the six games since going into Thursday’s game. They had been ninth in defensive rebounding percentage.
In the three meetings, however, the Rockets have outscored the Trail Blazers by an average of 16.3 second-chance points to 15.7.
Scoot, there he is
Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, the third pick of the draft, has had a rough rookie season, making 38.5% of his shots, 31.2% of his 3s. But he has shown promise and has come on well lately.
Back in the starting lineup in the 12 games prior to Thursday against the Warriors, he had some of his best games against some of the best competition in that stretch. He had 24 points with 10 assists against the Clippers. On Tuesday, he had 18 points with a season-high 15 assists against the Pelicans.
Henderson has not fared as well against the Rockets, averaging 13 points and 3.5 assists, making just 38.5% of his shots and 20% of his 3s in the two games he played against them.
Road not taken
The Blazers opted to choose Henderson rather than Amen Thompson, who went to the Rockets with the next pick. This was not a surprise, but the Rockets had targeted Thompson with the pick since learning of the results of the draft lottery.
Both have moved into the starting lineup because of injuries, with Thompson starting since Alperen Şengün went out March 10.
In his 20 games a starter, Thompson has averaged 13.1 points on 58% shooting, along with 9.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 29.7 minutes per game. He is on pace to join Nikola Jokic and George Johnson as the only players to average nine points, 6.3 rebounds, two assists and one steal in fewer than 22 minutes per game.
Slump busted
Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has not shot well against the Trail Blazers, making just 27.6% of his shots, 23.5% of his 3s. He had been struggling, making 7 of 30 shots in a four-game stretch when he averaged 4.5 points.
But in the three games prior to the Rockets heading out on the final road trip, he had averaged 20.7 points on 51.4% shooting. In his three games before facing the Jazz on Thursday, he had made 64.7% of his 3s.
The Rockets won just one of the four games with Brooks’ recent hot shooting. They won two of three games against the Blazers when he misfired. But that is not unusual. Brooks has shot better in losses, 37.9% on 3s, than in wins, 35.2%.