Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction & Match Preview - August 4th, 2020
Match Details
Fixture: Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers
Date & Time: Tuesday, August 4th, 2020, 9:00 PM ET (Wednesday 6:30 AM IST)
Venue: The Arena (WWOS), Disney World, Orlando, FL
The Houston Rockets will be confident going into the game against the Portland Trail Blazers after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in their last match. The Bucks have the best record in the NBA, so the tie against the Portland Trail Blazers should be a comparatively easier outing. However, the Houston Rockets will have to be wary of the threat the Trail Blazers back-court carries.
Houston Rockets Preview
The Houston Rockets looked like NBA championship contenders against the Milwaukee Bucks. James Harden played some incredible defence against NBA MVP favourite Giannis Antetokoumpo in the closing minutes. Russell Westbrook lead the scoring in what was a terrific team effort from the Houston Rockets. They made their three point shots consistently and constantly asked questions on defence. The Portland Trail Blazers will have to break down a rigid Houston Rockets offensive scheme to get the win.
Key Player- Russell Westbrook
Point guard Russell Westbrook had a stat line of 31 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists against a strong Milwaukee Bucks defence. In this game he will be facing a much lenient Portland Trail Blazers defence, so it won't be surprising if he goes off for a 50 piece. Westbrook has done a great job of getting to the rim and then scoring or finding open teammates for a corner three. He will be a huge threat in the paint against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Houston Rockets Predicted Lineup
Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Danuel House, Robert Covington, PJ Tucker
Also read: LA Clippers vs Phoenix Suns Prediction & Match Preview - August 5th, 2020
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers lost a closely contested game against eastern conference heavy weights Boston Celtics in their last outing. The Trail Blazers made an incredible comeback in that game and would be looking to emulate the same performance they exhibited in the second half. They will rely on their superstar back-court partnership of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to provide the scoring punch.
Key Player- Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard rallied his teammates for a comeback against the Celtics and led the scoring with 30 points. He will be facing a Houston Rockets defence which gave away close to 150 points against a fast paced Dallas Mavericks offence . Lillard's three point shooting and playmaking will be important in deciding whether the Trail Blazers will come out on top in this fixture or not.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Zach Collins, Carmelo Anthony, Jusuf Nurkic
Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers Match Prediction
It should be a comfortable game for the Houston Rockets as they will be facing a weak Portland Trail Blazers defence. James Harden and Russell Westbrook will cause all sorts of problems for the Trail Blazers wing defenders. However, the Portland Trail Blazers will be in a position to upset the Houston Rockets if Damian Lillard decides to take the matter in his own hands.
Where to watch Rockets vs Trail Blazers?
Local coverage of the match can be seen on AT&T Sportsnet. The same will be broadcast nationwide in the US on TNT. You can also live stream the fixture via NBA League Pass.
Also read: Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings Prediction & Match Preview - August 4th, 2020