Throughout the first three games of their five-game homestand, which concludes this weekend against the Houston Rockets and the Chicago Bulls, the Portland Trail Blazers have struggled on both sides of the floor.
The Rockets are the first team to play on Saturday night. With a net rating of plus-6.2, which is fifth in the NBA, Houston is among the league’s most complete teams.
Houston’s fourth-place defensive rating of 108 suggests that the Blazers may struggle to generate offensive momentum against the Rockets.
The Blazers had the lowest offensive rating in the NBA during that time, 102.4, in their previous three home games.
The potential return of forward Jerami Grant, who has missed nine games due to a facial contusion, might help the Blazers’ offense. On Saturday, he is marked as questionable.
Moving forward After missing two games due to a sprained right ankle, Deni Avdija is questionable.
The most significant change in reviving the offense may be the revival of Anfernee Simons’ shooting ability.
During Thursday night’s 118-89 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, he was held to 0 points. In Tuesday’s 132-114 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, he only managed 11 points.
The Rockets’ 132-127 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday ended their five-game winning streak.
Prediction: This game should be easily won by the better Rockets. But perhaps they will stay close because the Blazers’ offense is ready to explode. In November, Portland did manage to defeat Houston. The Rockets made 25% of their three-pointers and 35.6% of their field goals. Shaedon Sharpe, Simons, and Grant scored 71 points between them.
HOUSTON ROCKETS VS. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
What: Saturday at 7 p.m., Trail Blazers (13-27) versus. Rockets (27-13).
Where: Moda Center.
Series: In Houston, the two clubs played back-to-back games. On November 22, the Rockets won the first game 116-88. The Blazers won 104-98 the next evening. Their season-ending matchup is scheduled for this Saturday.
Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM) is the radio station.
TV channel: KATU (Portland, antenna: 2.2). Xfinity: 1170 and 302. 688-1 is DirecTV.KUNP (antenna: 47.1). 16, 302, 1170 Xfinity. Spectrum: 184; DirecTV: 47.
Rip City TV Network is the way to watch. An HDTV antenna on your local ABC affiliate (Charge 2.2 in Portland) will allow you to watch this game live for free even if you don’t have cable. These antennas cost about $20 and are very simple to install. You may get one at your neighborhood Fred Meyer or Bi-Mart, or you can buy one online from Amazon or Walmart and have it delivered right to your house. Here are some guidelines for configuring an HDTV antenna on your TV or other display. Use the channel finder here to learn more about the channel that Rip City TV Network is available on in your area.
DraftKings/Oregon Lottery (ODDS)
Moneyline: HOU -470 | POR +360
POR +10 Spread | Over/Under: 222.5
INJURIES
Jerami Grant (facial contusion) is available for Blazers.Deni Avdija (right ankle sprain), Donovan Clingan (right ankle sprain), Deandre Ayton (lower back pain), and Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain) are not available.
Jabari Smith Jr. of the Rockets (left metacarpal fracture).
UPCOMING
The Blazers play the Chicago Bulls (18–24) at 6 p.m. on Sunday to wrap up their five-game homestand.
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Aaron J. Fentress | [email protected]|@AaronJFentress (Facebook), @AaronFentress (Instagram), and @AaronJFentress (Twitter)
