Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction & Match Preview - May 10th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The struggling Houston Rockets will face the streaking Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Monday night. This will be the third and final meeting between these teams this NBA season.
The Portland Trail Blazers are on a three-game winning streak and are set to play their third straight game at home before going on a quick two-game road trip. Though the Houston Rockets defeated them 104-101 back in January, the Trail Blazers are a much different team this time around, with a healthier squad.
The Houston Rockets, on the other hand, are currently the league’s whipping boys with a 16-52 record, the worst in the NBA this season. Management has practically shut down the entire team, with 10 players on the injured list, including Kelly Olynyk and Christian Wood, who are questionable to play.
Match Details
Fixture - Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Monday, May 10th, 10:00 PM ET (Tuesday, May 11th, 7:30 AM IST)
Venue - Moda Center, Portland, OR
Houston Rockets Preview
The Houston Rockets have shelved nearly their entire roster for the game against the Portland Trail Blazers. They might play just eight players on the night, just like they did last Saturday against the Utah Jazz. Though undermanned and playing with less talent, the Rockets played hard and avoided another blowout in their 124-116 loss to the league’s top-ranked team.
The Houston Rockets have now lost 10 of their last 11 games and are currently on a five-game losing streak. Veteran guard D.J. Augustin will once again be tasked with guiding a group of young players to play competitively. Among those youngsters are Jae’Sean Tate, Danuel House Jr. and Kenyon Martin Jr., who scored 27 points against the Utah Jazz.
Key Player - Kenyon Martin Jr.
Rookie guard Kenyon Martin Jr. has taken advantage of the opportunities given him to post his best stats of the season. In his last three games, he has averaged 25.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 41.0 minutes of action each night.
The fact that these numbers came against elite teams (the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and the Utah Jazz) is remarkable. Against this type of competition, Martin shot 54.4 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three.
The Portland Trail Blazers better be ready for this kid when the Houston Rockets come to town.
Houston Rockets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - D.J. Augustin l Shooting Guard - DaQuan Jeffries l Small Forward - Anthony Lamb Power Forward - Jae’Sean Tate l Center - Kenyon Martin Jr.
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have a chance to improve on their 39-29 record and inch closer to earning the sixth seed in the West by the end of the season. They have now won seven of their last eight games and are peaking at the perfect time, with the play-in tournament and postseason in sight.
Their matchup against the Houston Rockets will be the easiest assignment heading into the last four games of their schedule, which includes dates with the Utah Jazz, the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets. These are very tough games for any team in the NBA, which is why the Portland Trail Blazers have to ensure that they don’t take Monday's encounter for granted.
Key Player - CJ McCollum
CJ McCollum has had an up-and-down season ever since he came back from a lengthy stint on the injury list. However, his last four games have not been as productive for him.
During that stretch, McCollum only averaged 19.5 points while shooting terribly at 38.9 percent from field, including 32.1 percent from the 3-point arc. He needs to get back in the groove by playing well against the cellar-dwelling Houston Rockets.
The Portland Trail Blazers will need him more in the final three games of the season where he’ll face stiffer competition.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Damian Lillard l Shooting Guard - CJ McCollum l Small Forward - Norman Powell l Power Forward - Robert Covington l Center - Jusuf Nurkic
Rockets vs Blazers Match Prediction
This Houston Rockets game is one that the Portland Trail Blazers cannot afford to lose. They have momentum on their side as well as a team that’s determined to finish the season strong.
With the Houston Rockets practically more concerned with developing young talent and already eliminated from the playoffs, we can expect the Portland Trail Blazers to win this game and extend their winning streak to four games.
Where to watch Rockets vs Blazers
The Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers game will be shown locally on AT&T Sportsnet - Southwest and NBC Sports Northwest. International audiences can catch the game live on NBA League Pass.
Also Read: Top 5 individual performances by rookies in the 2020-21 NBA season