This Saturday, the (16-12) Portland Trail Blazers will travel to Houston, TX to take on the (9-19) Houston Rockets. Tipoff will be at 8:00 PM EST inside the Toyota Center (Houston). These two teams have already matched up this season, as the Trail Blazers walked away with a 125-121 victory.

The Portland Trail Blazers are coming into this one after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 128-112. They looked great on both ends of the floor, as they will have to replicate that performance if they want to challenge the Rockets on the road.

The Rockets are entering this matchup after falling to the Miami Heat, 111-108. The Rockets struggled on the defensive end of the court, as they allowed Miami to shoot 44.3% from the field. They will have to contest more shots in this one if they want to pick up another win at home.

Can the Blazers Show Up on the Road?
The Portland Trail Blazers are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, as they trail the first-place Memphis Grizzlies by three games. On offense, they are scoring 112.6 points per game and they are shooting 47.8% from the floor. This is the 16th most points scored per contest and the ninth-highest shooting percentage in the league. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Blazers have an adjusted offensive rating of 114.9, which is the sixth-highest rating in the NBA. Anfernee Simons has continued to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 23.7 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field. Portland has also shown that they have multiple players that can step behind the arc and make it rain. They are shooting 39% from deep, which is the third-highest three-point shooting percentage. The Trail Blazers are also shooting 77.6% at the charity stripe, which is the 21st-highest team free-throw shooting percentage in the league. They can’t miss out on these free looks at the basket and still expect to win these games.
On the defensive end of the court, the Trail Blazers have had a difficult time getting consistent stops. They are currently allowing 111.6 points per game and their opponents have shot 47.4% from the floor. This is the 11th least amount of points given up per contest, but the 19th-lowest shooting percentage allowed from the field. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Trail Blazers have an adjusted defensive rating of 113.5, which is the 21st-lowest rating in the league. Portland has struggled to consistently contest shots near the rim and on the perimeter, as they have allowed their opponents to get hot from behind the arc. They are allowing the 19th-lowest three-point shooting percentage in the NBA, as they have to apply more pressure on the perimeter if they want to get more stops. The Blazers are also snatching 43.4 rebounds per game, which is the 14th most. They have to secure the ball after missed shots if they want to keep the Rockets from scoring second-chance points.

Injury Report: Josh Hart SG (Ankle), Trendon Watford F (Achillies), and Drew Eubanks PF (Teeth) are listed as probable. Gary Payton II PG (Abdominal) and Nassir Little SF (Hip) are both out.

Will the Rockets Hold Up on the Offensive End?
The Houston Rockets are currently in 15th place in the Western Conference standings, as they trail the Grizzlies by 10 games. On offense, they are scoring 110.2 points per game and they are shooting 44.4% from the floor. This is the 26th most points scored per contest and the lowest shooting percentage in the league. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Rockets have an adjusted offensive rating of 110.4, which is the 26th-highest rating in the NBA. Jalen Green continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 21.8 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field. Houston has also shown that they struggle to shoot from behind the three-point arc. They have only made 33.7% of their shots from deep, which is the 24th-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league. They struggle with pressure in their face and they have had more success attacking the basket. The Rockets have also slipped up at the free throw line consistently throughout this season. They have only knocked down 78.5% of their shots at the line, which is the 18th-highest team free-throw shooting percentage in the NBA.
On the defensive end of the court, the Rockets are surrendering 115.4 points per game and their opponents have shot 47.4% from the floor. This is the 20th most points allowed per contest and the 19th-lowest shooting percentage allowed from the field. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Rockets have an adjusted defensive rating of 114.8, which is the 25th-highest rating in the NBA. They have continued to struggle to defend on the perimeter and they haven’t contested enough shots in the paint. Houston has allowed their opponents to shoot 36.3% from behind the arc, which is the 20th-lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed in the league. The Rockets are also snatching 46.9 rebounds per game, which is the fourth most in the NBA.

Injury Report: Jae’Sean Tate SF (Ankle) is out. Alperen Sengun C (Foot) is questionable.