{"id":530940,"date":"2026-01-12T04:24:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T04:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/530940\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T04:24:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T04:24:05","slug":"portland-trail-blazers-vs-houston-rockets-round-2-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/530940\/","title":{"rendered":"Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets Round 2 Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Ever watch an exciting, hard-fought, back-and-forth basketball game and wish it wouldn\u2019t end? If you felt that way about the Portland Trail Blazers game versus the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, you\u2019ll get the next best thing tonight as the two teams square off in a rematch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The Blazers claimed the narrowest of victories Wednesday night when replays confirmed that the tip-in by Houston\u2019s Tari Eason came a fraction of a second after time expired. For more on that game, check out Dave Deckard\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blazersedge.com\/trail-blazers-analysis\/107494\/portland-trail-blazers-houston-rockets-final-score-boxscore-stats-durant-avdija-defense\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">post-game recap<\/a> and Conor Bergin\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blazersedge.com\/from-press-row\/107498\/portland-trail-blazers-houston-rockets-nba-recap-deni-avdija-kevin-durant-toumani-camara\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">report from press row<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">With the 103-102 win on Wednesday, the Blazers have won six of their past seven games and currently hold the NBA\u2019s longest winning streak at four in a row. They are one of only three teams, along with the Timberwolves and Raptors, that have yet to lose in 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Can they continue their winning ways against a Houston team that was milliseconds away from completing their late-game comeback? Let\u2019s take a closer look at what to expect in tonight\u2019s rematch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Portland Trail Blazers (18-20) vs. Houston Rockets (22-12) &#8211; Fri. Jan. 9th &#8211; 7:00pm Pacific<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">How to watch via antenna or cable: See your options on the Rip City Television Network.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">How to watch via streaming: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass everywhere else<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">How to listen: Rip City Radio 620AM<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Trail Blazers Injuries: Kris Murray, Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley (Out); Jrue Holiday (Doubtful)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Rockets Injuries: Alperen Sengun, Fred Vanvleet, Isaiah Crawford (Out).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Rockets SB Nation Affiliate: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedreamshake.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Dream Shake<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Supporting Cast. Portland\u2019s Deni Avdija and Houston\u2019s Kevin Durant are elite offensive players and had huge games on Wednesday, carrying much of the offensive load for their respective teams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Avdija had a season-high 41 points on 13-24 shooting and 13-15 from the free throw line. But after averaging 9.5 assists per game over his previous 10 outings, he managed only two on Wednesday night. Much of that can be attributed to the fact that all Blazers not named Avdija shot just 38.9% (23-59) for the game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">On the other side, Durant is missing his most reliable offensive teammate in Alperen Sengun. The Turkish big man scores 21.8 points per game and is one of the better passing centers in the game, averaging a team-high 6.5 assists.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">They have very different styles, but Avdija and Durant have both shown that they can consistently pile up the points. Friday night\u2019s game may come down to which star gets more help from his supporting cast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Rebounds. The Rockets are the best rebounding team in the NBA and had a massive rebounding edge (57-38) on Wednesday night, including a 24-6 advantage on the offensive glass. Houston converted that edge into 23 second-chance points, compared to just nine for the Blazers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Portland\u2019s Donovan Clingan is fifth in the NBA in rebounds per game and has more offensive rebounds than any other player in the league, but was held to only seven rebounds (one offensive) Wednesday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Anticipating the challenge, Coach Tiago Splitter adjusted his rotation to play bigger lineups featuring both Robert Williams III and Yang Hansen when Clingan rested. Hansen played 16:31 on Wednesday, marking the most he has played in a competitive game all season. He logged more time only in a pair of blowout losses to Oklahoma City and Memphis (his lone start).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The Blazers got away with the poor rebounding, because outside of Durant, Houston did not shoot the ball well. As a team, they shot 37.4% for the game and made just 8-36 from beyond the three-point arc.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">If the Blazers can rebound better on Friday, they\u2019ll have a chance to sweep the two-game series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">If the Rockets dominate the glass again, they\u2019ll probably leave town with a split. After all, they were a fraction of a second away from taking the first game on an offensive rebound.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">An All-Time Great. Durant will almost certainly pass Wilt Chamberlain for seventh all-time on the NBA\u2019s scoring list. After his 37-point masterpiece on Wednesday night, Durant is just 15 points shy of passing Wilt the Stilt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/rockets\/onsi\/news\/houston-rockets-lost-to-blazers-before-the-tip-in-was-waived-off\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lachard Binkley at SI.com wrote about Houston\u2019s offensive struggles<\/a> with Sengun, their primary facilitator, out of the lineup:<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1\">In fact, the Rockets have had their three worst 3-point shooting games in the last three games, and of course, all have been without Sengun. If the Rockets want to get back into the win column on Friday in the rematch with Portland, they will have to start shooting a much higher percentage all the way around.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Is Avdija actually an MVP candidate? No, but he\u2019s exceeded all expectations and turned himself into one of the best players in the league. Thousands of Blazers fans in the Moda Center decided to let him know how they feel about him as he stood at the free throw line in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ever watch an exciting, hard-fought, back-and-forth basketball game and wish it wouldn\u2019t end? If you felt that way&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":530941,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3794],"tags":[7,56618,37790,292,194,4066,6,211],"class_list":{"0":"post-530940","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston-rockets","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-blazers-game-previews","10":"tag-blazers-gameday-coverage","11":"tag-houston","12":"tag-houston-rockets","13":"tag-houstonrockets","14":"tag-nba","15":"tag-rockets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115880228676841408","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=530940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/530941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=530940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=530940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=530940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}