Houston seeks to reestablish their winning rhythm on the road against a streaking Portland squad after a chaotic home win.
On Wednesday, January 7, the Rockets (22-11) head to Portland to face off against the Trail Blazers (17-20).
When: Wednesday, January 7 @ 9:00 PM CT
Where: Moda Center, Portland
Where to watch:
Space City Home Network (local)
NBA LeaguePass (with subscription)
Fubo (with subscription or free trial)
Subject to local blackouts
Houston walks into the Moda Center coming off a close call in one of the most frustrating games of the season on Monday at home against the Suns. The night was supposed to be a palette cleanser for the Rockets. Instead, the night was defined by baffling technical difficulties, with the clock malfunctioning seven separate times in the first quarter alone.
Both teams were sent back to the bench multiple times. Any momentum or rhythm was killed over and over again, and the problem wasn’t resolved until the break. Houston was ice cold from the whole court, shooting 44-percent from the field. Still, the Rockets were able to maintain composure and walked out with a win. Phoenix ultimately fell to Houston 100-97 with an ice cold three in the last three seconds from Kevin Durant.
The Trail Blazers are coming to Houston riding high on a three-game win streak, most recently dominating over the Utah Jazz at home. Portland’s win over Utah was controlled from the opening stretch. The Trail Blazers jumped out early, dictated pace, and never let the Jazz settle in.
Utah struggled to contain Deni Avdiji and Shedan Sharpe - who combined for 62 points- and spent most of the night chasing instead of responding. Portland capitalized on that hesitation, generating stops and turning them into quick offense. Once the margin stretched, the Jazz never found a way to slow things down.
That Monday night performance highlights the exact area Houston has tightened up lately. The Rockets aren’t giving teams easy rhythm anymore. They’re forcing opponents to execute in the half court, rebound through traffic, and stay patient in every possession- even on nights when the offense looks clunky or the shots don’t fall. Houston has shown they can stay connected and avoid unraveling.
For Portland, the challenge will be sustaining that same pace against a team that’s comfortable grinding games down. The Trail Blazers thrive when they can speed things up and play freely. Houston prefers to drag games into structure and decision-making, especially late.
If the Rockets can weather early runs and control the glass, they should put themselves in position to close. If Portland finds space in transition early, it could get uncomfortable.
Expect a competitive first half, with Houston’s composure giving them the edge late.