Blazers at Rockets: Lineups, injury reports, and broadcast info for Thursday

Ben DuBose
·3 min read

In a rematch of an overtime thriller from a month ago, Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers will visit Christian Wood and the Houston Rockets in a nationally televised matchup on Thursday night.

While the logos will look similar, much has changed for both teams since Dec. 26. James Harden led the Rockets with 44 points, and he’s since been traded. CJ McCollum also scored 44 and hit the game-winning shot for Portland, and he’s now out indefinitely with a left foot fracture.

John Wall, Eric Gordon, and DeMarcus Cousins were out in December due to a mandatory quarantine, whereas all are available now. And Houston’s defense, which was among the league’s worst at the start of the 2020-21 season, has ranked No. 3 overall since the Harden trade.

Thursday’s matchup will effectively be strength against strength and weakness versus weakness. Led by Lillard, who is third in the NBA in per-game scoring (28.7 points), the Blazers will test Houston’s improving defense with the league’s No. 6 unit in net offensive rating.

On the other hand, Houston’s offense — which is among the bottom 10 in the NBA since the Harden trade — will be going up against a Portland squad with the second-worst net defensive rating on the season. The Blazers have especially struggled since having to replace starting center Jusuf Nurkic (out indefinitely due to a fractured wrist) with veteran Enes Kanter, who has long been viewed as a defensive liability.

That could provide a prime opportunity for Wood, who is returning to the Rockets after missing the last three games with a right ankle sprain. In addition to Nurkic, Blazers will be missing another big defensive piece in forward Robert Covington, who is out with a concussion.

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Here’s when you should tune in to see Thursday’s game.

  • Date: Thursday, Jan. 28

  • Time: 6:30 p.m. Central

  • TV Channel: TNT, AT&T SportsNet Southwest

  • Live stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Probable starting lineups

Houston Rockets (7-9)

  • Guard: John Wall

  • Guard: Victor Oladipo

  • Forward: Jae’Sean Tate

  • Forward: PJ Tucker

  • Center: Christian Wood

Portland Trail Blazers (9-7)

  • Guard: Damian Lillard

  • Guard: Gary Trent Jr.

  • Forward: Derrick Jones Jr.

  • Forward: Carmelo Anthony

  • Center: Enes Kanter

While the Rockets have slumped offensively since trading Harden, health has played a role in those numbers. Wall missed five games with left knee soreness, Oladipo sat out two while the trade was being finalized and missed a third for planned maintenance during a back-to-back sequence, and Wood was held out of three with his ankle sprain.

But all three are back in the lineup now, and the rare opportunity to start may have also helped veterans Eric Gordon and DeMarcus Cousins get in better rhythm. Gordon has scored 20 or more points in five straight games, while Cousins averaged 17.3 points (40.9% on 3-pointers), 14.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game as a starter in place of Wood.

If those two can hold that form as reserves, the Rockets should have a deep supporting cast, allowing them to gradually improve their rankings on offense. To that end, Thursday’s game versus a struggling Trail Blazers defense could offer an ideal opportunity to build momentum.

As of Wednesday, the Blazers ranked No. 5 in the Western Conference standings. While it’s still early in the year, a victory on Thursday would allow the Rockets to come within a game of a team they could soon be competing with for playoff positioning. That should make for a fun environment at Toyota Center in a nationally televised showdown.

This post originally appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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