1st quarter report
Only three more quarters stand between the Rockets and the victory they were favorites to achieve tonight. They have a bit of cushion as they currently lead the Trail Blazers 65-45.
If the Rockets keep playing like this, they will increase their record to 12-5 in no time. On the other hand, the Trail Blazers will have to settle for a 6-10 record unless things turn around.
Who is playing
Portland Trail Blazers @ Houston Rockets
Current records: Portland 6-9, Houston 11-5
How to watch
- When: Friday, November 22, 2024 at 8 pm ET
- Where: Toyota Center – Houston, Texas
- TV: KATU 2.2 ABC
- Continue: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try it for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $8.48
What to know
The Rockets will play the full four quarters on Friday, but are expected to have everything figured out well before then. They will host the Portland Trail Blazers at 8:00 pm ET at the Toyota Center. The momentum surely favors the Rockets, as the team has six consecutive wins at home, while the Trail Blazers have suffered three consecutive losses on the road.
The Rockets will come into Friday’s matchup having (finally) beaten the Pacers, against whom they had gone 1-9 in their previous ten meetings. The Rockets defeated the Pacers 130-113 on Wednesday. Houston brought the score to 98-77 at the end of the third, a deficit that Indiana chipped away at but never fully recovered from.
The Rockets’ success was the result of a balanced attack in which several players stepped up, but Alperen Sengun led the charge by posting a double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Sengun had some trouble finding his footing against the Bucks on Monday, so this was a step in the right direction. The team also received help courtesy of Jabari Smith, who went 8-of-13 and scored 23 points plus eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, after a three-game winning streak, the Trail Blazers’ good luck finally ran out on Wednesday. They fell 109-99 to the Thunder.
Even though they lost, the Trail Blazers broke the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds (they rank third in offensive rebounds per game overall). That good performance was nothing new for the team: they have already gotten at least ten offensive rebounds in 24 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Houston has been on a roll lately: They’ve won six of their last seven games, adding a nice boost to their 11-5 record this season. As for Portland, their loss dropped their record to 6-9.
Friday’s game is shaping up to be a tough matchup: the Rockets haven’t turned the ball over easily this season, having averaged just 12.1 turnovers per game (they rank fifth in turnovers per game overall). It’s a different story for the Trail Blazers, however, as they have averaged 16.7. Given the Rockets’ considerable advantage in that area, the Trail Blazers will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Rockets beat the Trail Blazers 116-107 in their previous matchup in April. Do the Rockets have another win up their sleeve or will the Trail Blazers turn them around? We will have the answer very soon.
Odd
Houston is a heavy 12.5-point favorite against Portland, according to the latest report. NBA Odds.
The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started with the Rockets as 9.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 224 points.
See NBA selections for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Houston and Portland have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- April 12, 2024: Houston 116 vs. Portland 107
- March 25, 2024: Houston 110 vs. Portland 92
- March 8, 2024: Houston 123 vs. Portland 107
- January 24, 2024: Portland 137 vs. Houston 131
- February 26, 2023: Portland 131 vs. Houston 114
- December 17, 2022: Portland 107 vs. Houston 95
- October 28, 2022: Portland 125 vs. Houston 111
- March 26, 2022: Houston 115 vs. Portland 98
- March 25, 2022: Houston 125 vs. Portland 106
- January 28, 2022: Portland 125 vs. Houston 110
