Portland Trail Blazers v Houston Rockets: Preview, how to watch

Falling just short of a comeback win against the Celtics, the Portland Trail Blazers must now prepare for their Tuesday matchup with the Houston Rockets.

In a contest between Footers and Shooters, it was the hot-handed Celtics who came out on top in a 124-128 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, using their 18/30 three-point shooting on the day to avoid heavy post play. While the Blazers were hoping their two starting seven-footers would dominate the smaller competition, Boston’s well designed defensive schemes avoided an onslaught against their frontcourt.

Now, the Blazers have somewhat of a second chance as they prepare for a Houston Rockets team featuring many of Boston’s key traits.

For the second game in a row, Carmelo Anthony, Portland’s starting small forward, will be as tall as their opponent’s tallest player. Defensively, this offers a double-edged sword type of situation for the Blazers. As seen against the Celtics, Portland benefits from the ability to be able to switch three of their players onto their opponents’ biggest man, holding the Celtics to 38 points in the paint.

Unfortunately, small teams like Boston are used to front court mismatches, popping the ball out to the perimeter when they find themselves getting stuffed in the paint. Boasting four starters who shot at least 38% from the three this season, the Celtics let loose, making the Blazers suffer as they took over from beyond the arc.

Against Houston, Portland will likely benefit from their guard centric offensive onslaught. Instead of long, wing players such as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown towering over our guards, it is almost certain Houston’s offense will be played through their familiar backcourt of James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

This matchup serves the Blazers well, as Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have experience and success playing the Rockets backcourt, going 2-1 in their three games this season. While it’s not likely Portland’s backcourt will completely shut down either superstar, the Blazers’ guards may only need to stay on par for the team to perform well.

Consider Houston’s last game, in which Milwaukee’s starting guards combined for 12 points and a single assist. While neither serves as the focal point to the Bucks’ offense, it shows how much pressure Westbrook and Harden can create on both ends of the floor. Fortunately, the Blazers boast a much more talented set of guards who will undoubtedly provide their team with a more significant offensive impact.

Because CJ/Dame vs. Russ/Harden creates one of the league’s most evenly matched backcourt showdowns, it will be up to Portland’s big men to learn from their mistakes and make use of the most significant height advantage they’ll be given in Orlando.

As seen by Brook Lopez’s double-double and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s near triple-double, Houston’s frontcourt has little answers for towering figures, such as Portland’s Zach Collins, Jusuf Nurkic, and Hassan Whiteside. Given Houston’s go-to lineup in recent months, there is an excellent chance PJ Tucker (six-foot-five) and Danuel House Jr. (six-foot-six) will be forced to guard a seven-footer for multiple stretches of the game.

While all of this height talk may seem like a mismatch made in heaven, it’s crucial to note Houston earned a 120-116 victory against the Bucks, doing so while scoring just 20 points in the paint. With the second-highest offensive rating in the league, it’s clear the Rockets can do just fine without a single true Center in their lineup.

Still, the Bucks’ beyond subpar backcourt performance certainly sealed their fate, with former Blazer Wesley Matthews shooting a terrible 1/6  from the three-point line. It seems if Portland can execute mismatches when they come, and their backcourt does what they do best, the Blazers have all the tools to earn a much-needed win.

How you can watch the Portland Trail Blazers in action on Tuesday

Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Time: 18:00 p.m. PST
Where: The Arena, Orlando, FL
Watch: TNT, NBC Sports Northwest
Listen: Rip City Radio 620