Key Rockets could be sidelined with injuries. See who's questionable and out as Houston battles Portland on the second night of a back-to-back.
On Friday, March 6th, the Houston Rockets (38-23) will face the Portland Trailblazers (30-33) on the second night of this home back-to-back.
When: Friday, March 6th @ 7:00 PM CT
Where: Toyota Center, Houston
Where to watch:
NBA League Pass or local broadcasting
Rockets vs. Blazers Injury Report
Another game with a lot of players potentially sitting out, especially with it coming on the second night of a back to back. Check out who makes the list down below.
Houston Rockets:
Questionable: Jabari Smith Jr. (right ankle sprain)
Questionable: Amen Thompson (right ankle sprain)
Out: Jae'Sean Tate (right knee sprain)
Out: Steven Adams (left ankle surgery)
Out: Fred VanVleet (right knee ACL repair)
Out: Tristen Newton (G League/Two-Way)
Portland Trailblazers:
Questionable: Kris Murray (illness)
Out: Damian Lillard (Achilles surgery)
Out: Shaedon Sharpe (fibula fracture)
Out: Caleb Love (G League/Two-Way)
Out: Jayson Kent (G League/Two-Way)
Out: Yang Hansen (G League/Two-Way)
Doubtful: Deni Avdija (lower back injury)
Key Takeaways
- Rockets: Missing Adams and VanVleet for the season, with starters Smith Jr. and Thompson questionable following the overtime loss that concluded less than 24 hours ago.
- Blazers: Missing Lillard for the season, and Sharpe recently going down as well. Avdija is likely to miss his sixth straight game.
Portland has been used to playing through turmoil this season, as their head coach was arrested before the first game of the season was even played. On top of that, their best player (maybe the best in franchise history) has been out with an achilles injury all season. In spite of those setbacks, they've managed to have a relatively successful season.
Currently sitting at the brink of the Play-In Tournament, their 30-33 record is ultimately pretty impressive. Deni Avdija made his first All-Star appearance after averaging over 24 points per game. His recent back injury will likely keep him out of this game though, putting more on the shoulders of Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday.
Both of those veterans are certainly capable of winning their team a game, as they combined for 65 points in the Blazers’ last outing on Wednesday. Robert Williams III came off the bench to give them 20 points, 11 boards, and three blocks on 9/12 shooting. Someone Clint Capela will have to pay a lot of attention to.
This leads us to the Houston side of things, where they'll try to right numerous wrongs that have plagued them this season. Firstly, back to backs. They only managed to get their first sweep at the end of February vs Orlando. Obviously they can't win both games anymore, but it's also good to avoid getting swept. The only time that happened this season was vs Charlotte and Boston to begin February.
Like Lillard in Portland, VanVleet has also missed the entire season for the Rockets. They've fared well without a true point guard, and despite some slippage, have maintained home-court advantage after the Steven Adams injury.
With the Nuggets tied in the standings and also playing their second night of a back to back, tonight's games can cause some movement in the standings. Jabari and Amen both played 40+ minutes last night so I wouldn't be surprised to see them sit to rest their ankles. A win tonight will be tough without them, but hopefully we see some fight out of them either way.