Through 3 Quarters

Only one more quarter stands between the Houston Rockets and the win they were favored to collect going into this night. Three quarters in and their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating the Portland Trail Blazers 96-82.

Houston has been relying on shooting guard Jalen Green, who has shot 5-for-10 from beyond the arc and has recorded 23 points, and small forward Jae’Sean Tate, who has 17 points in addition to four boards. One thing to keep an eye out for is Alperen Sengun’s foul situation as he currently sits at five.

Portland has been led by power forward Trendon Watford, who so far has 19 points and six assists along with five rebounds.

the Trail Blazers have lost 87% of the time when they were down heading into the fourth quarter this season, so this one seems just about wrapped up

Who’s Playing

Houston @ Portland

Current Records: Houston 18-55; Portland 27-45

What to Know

The Houston Rockets haven’t won a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers since Jan. 28 of last year, but they’ll be looking to end the drought on Friday. The Rockets will hit the road for the second straight game as they head to Moda Center at the Rose Quarter at 10 p.m. ET. They won’t have the home-court advantage, but they do enjoy a 4.5-point advantage in the spread.

Houston received a tough blow on Wednesday as they fell 110-91 to the Dallas Mavericks. Shooting guard Jalen Green had a pretty forgettable game, finishing with only eight points on 3-for-11 shooting and turning the ball over four times in his 32 minutes on the court.

Meanwhile, it’s never fun to lose, and it’s even less fun to lose 133-96, which was the final score in Portland’s tilt against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Rip City was in a tough position by the half, with the score already sitting at 81-53. Despite the defeat, they had strong showings from center Drew Eubanks, who had 20 points in addition to nine boards, and shooting guard Ben McLemore, who had 23 points.

Both of these teams will be looking to put their recent losses behind them and walk away with a win. Allowing an average of 118.05 points per game, the Rockets haven’t exactly asserted themselves on the defensive end. We’ll see if they can patch up the holes in their defense before their upcoming contest.

How To Watch

• When: Friday at 10 p.m. ET
• Where: Moda Center at the Rose Quarter — Portland, Oregon
• TV: ATTSN Southwest
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Ticket Cost: $7.45

Odds

The Rockets are a 4.5-point favorite against the Trail Blazers, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Rockets as a 3.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Portland have won 12 out of their last 23 games against Houston.

• Jan 28, 2022 – Portland 125 vs. Houston 110
• Nov 12, 2021 – Portland 104 vs. Houston 92
• May 10, 2021 – Portland 140 vs. Houston 129
• Jan 28, 2021 – Houston 104 vs. Portland 101
• Dec 26, 2020 – Portland 128 vs. Houston 126
• Aug 04, 2020 – Portland 110 vs. Houston 102
• Jan 29, 2020 – Portland 125 vs. Houston 112
• Jan 15, 2020 – Portland 117 vs. Houston 107
• Nov 18, 2019 – Houston 132 vs. Portland 108
• Jan 05, 2019 – Portland 110 vs. Houston 101
• Dec 11, 2018 – Houston 111 vs. Portland 103
• Oct 30, 2018 – Portland 104 vs. Houston 85
• Apr 05, 2018 – Houston 96 vs. Portland 94
• Mar 20, 2018 – Houston 115 vs. Portland 111
• Jan 10, 2018 – Houston 121 vs. Portland 112
• Dec 09, 2017 – Houston 124 vs. Portland 117
• Mar 30, 2017 – Portland 117 vs. Houston 107
• Nov 27, 2016 – Houston 130 vs. Portland 114
• Nov 17, 2016 – Houston 126 vs. Portland 109
• Feb 25, 2016 – Houston 119 vs. Portland 105
• Feb 10, 2016 – Portland 116 vs. Houston 103
• Feb 06, 2016 – Portland 96 vs. Houston 79
• Nov 18, 2015 – Houston 108 vs. Portland 103

Injury Report for Portland

• Eric Bledsoe: Out (Achilles)
• Josh Hart: Out (Knee)
• Justise Winslow: Out (Calf)
• Anfernee Simons: Out (Quadriceps)
• Jusuf Nurkic: Out (Foot)
• Marcos Louzada Silva: Out (Knee)
• Damian Lillard: Out for the Season (Abdomen)
• Nassir Little: Out for the Season (Shoulder)
• Joe Ingles: Out for the Season (Knee)

Injury Report for Houston

• Trevelin Queen: Game-Time Decision (Undisclosed)
• Usman Garuba: Game-Time Decision (Ankle)
• John Wall: Out (Not Injury Related)