Game Thread GAME# 58: ROCKETS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 25, 2016 - THURSDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), TNT

[Darkwebs]

2015-16 Regular Season Record
HOUSTON ROCKETS
28 - 29
(12-16 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
30 - 27
(19-11 Home)



______________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

PATRICK BEVERLEY VS DAMIAN LILLARD

SG

JAMES HARDEN VS C.J. McCOLLUM

SF

TREVOR ARIZA VS AL-FAROUQ AMINU

PF

JOSH SMITH VS NOAH VONLEH

C

DWIGHT HOWARD VS MASON PLUMLEE


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WHEN: 7:30 PM (PST), THURSDAY, 2/23/2016​

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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--------------BENCH--------------

HOUSTON ROCKETS

LAWSON , TERRY , THORNTON , McDANIELS

BREWER , HARRELL , JONES , CAPELA

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

ROBERTS , HENDERSON , CRABBE , CONNAUGHTON

HARKLESS , LEONARD, DAVIS , KAMAN



INJURIES
ROCKETS
Donatas Motiejunas (back): QUESTIONABLE
TRAIL BLAZERS
NONE


HEAD COACHES

- VS –

J.B. BICKERSTAFF --- TERRY STOTTS



OFFICIAL ROCKETS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Thursday marks the fourth and final regular season matchup between the Trail Blazers and Rockets in 2015-16.

• Portland has won two straight against Houston after dropping the first contest this season (Nov. 18). The Trail Blazers won the most recent matchup, 116-103, on Feb. 10 in Portland.

• The Trail Blazers haven’t won three consecutive games against the Rockets since the team won four in a row from 11/26/02 to 11/21/03.

• With a win, Portland would win consecutive season series over Houston for the first time since the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.

• The Trail Blazers have won three consecutive home games, and four of their past five games overall against the Rockets.

• Damian Lillard scored 31 points against Houston on Feb. 10, and has now scored 20+ points in six of his past eight games against the Rockets.

• Maurice Harkless scored a season-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting against Houston on Feb. 10.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Rockets lead, 102-83
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 50-41
AT THE ROCKETS: Rockets lead, 61-33

​

 

[tester551]

This Houston game is going to be HUGE on Thursday night.

Portland currently has a 2 game lead in the standings. If Houston wins, it's down to 1. If Portland wins, it will be 3 AND Portland will have the head-to-head tie breaker effectively pushing it to a 4-game lead in the standings over the 9th placed team for the playoffs.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

We need this W. Well, we need every W. But this is the one we need, end the homestand strong.

 

[BlazerBeav]

Break the will of the mentally weak Rockets!

 

[Draco]

Regardless of playoff or standings implications I want to beat the Rockets. I love beating the Rockets.

Lucky for me the Rockets love beating the Rockets too.

 

[Draco]

 

[Draco]

 

[Draco]

 

[Draco]

 

[Draco]

 

[Draco]

 

[Draco]

Not specifically Rockets but too funny

 

[Draco]

 

[Draco]

When the couple broke up, Harden admitted he didn't like the attention he received from dating her.

“For me, I don’t really like all that attention,” he said on ESPN’s Russillo & Kanell , “especially attention that’s not needed.”

This must be PR spin.... why would he date a Kardashian if he didn't want attention?

 

[B-Roy]

This is a trap game if I've ever seen one. Rockets are playing horribly but they're talented as hell on paper. Plus they've got a guy that's consistently killed us in the regular season. A few shots go down, they get some confidence, and it's going to be a loooooooooooong night.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Well I was wrong last night, so I say yes. Dame will have the best 6 game streak in Blazers history!!!!

 

[blue9]

This is a trap game if I've ever seen one. Rockets are playing horribly but they're talented as hell on paper. Plus they've got a guy that's consistently killed us in the regular season. A few shots go down, they get some confidence, and it's going to be a loooooooooooong night.

Plus it's a TNT game... Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems we generally don't play well when on TNT. Please prove me wrong!

 

[B-Roy]

Plus it's a TNT game... Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems we generally don't play well when on TNT. Please prove me wrong!

I think we usually play really well on TNT.

I think we always play the Rockets on TNT at home as well. It's been like this for a few years.

 

[blue9]

I think we usually play really well on TNT.

I think we always play the Rockets on TNT at home as well. It's been like this for a few years.

I hope you're right! I'm nervous about this game...and I generally don't care about individual regular season games. But I want that tie breaker!
Besides: fuck the Rockets!

 

[B-Roy]

I hope you're right! I'm nervous about this game...and I generally don't care about individual regular season games. But I want that tie breaker!
Besides: fuck the Rockets!

I'm less interested about the tiebreaker as I am continuing to stomp on the Rockets, haha.

 

[Chris Craig]

Who is Meyers Leonard

 

[Chris Craig]

Who is Lebron James

 

[Chris Craig]

This must be PR spin.... why would he date a Kardashian if he didn't want attention?

I just shivered

 

[Pinwheel1]

I have a bad feeling about this game. This will be the 3rd time we play Houston in our last 7 games. We embarrassed them the previous two times. I don't care how badly the Rockets have played as of late, beating a decent team 3 times in that time span is tough. This one will be close which means the refs will be a factor. I wonder which ones we get and how they react to Harden's flopping. Because lets face it, some refs are fooled easier than others.

 

[riverman]

I will be satisfied with only total humiliation and domination of the Rockettes tonight! I want Kaman to shave Harden's beard at half court with a dull razor

 

[Chris Craig]

I will be satisfied with only total humiliation and domination of the Rockettes tonight! I want Kaman to shave Harden's beard at half court with a dull razor

I want Kaman to use his fingernails

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

We are NOT losing a game to that big gross smelly beard guy. He's probably got a Mike Rice buffet worth of food stuck inside there, or a bird's nest, and it's been declared a protected natural area.

 

[B-Roy]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2013.html

....Are we the 2012-2013 Houston Rockets? We look oddly similar. 6th in ORTG and 16th in DRTG. A star with a bunch of unproven role players overachieving and having a feel-good story type of year.

Rockets signed Howard the off-season after btw. Could we follow a similar path?

 

[Chris Craig]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2013.html

....Are we the 2012-2013 Houston Rockets? We look oddly similar. 6th in ORTG and 16th in DRTG. A star with a bunch of unproven role players overachieving and having a feel-good story type of year.

Rockets signed Howard the off-season after btw. Could we follow a similar path?

How dare you sir!

 

[KeepOnRollin]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2013.html

....Are we the 2012-2013 Houston Rockets? We look oddly similar. 6th in ORTG and 16th in DRTG. A star with a bunch of unproven role players overachieving and having a feel-good story type of year.

Rockets signed Howard the off-season after btw. Could we follow a similar path?

With a trade for Brook Lopez this off-season? I could see it.