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The Houston Rockets visit Moda Center to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Teams have entered the last week of the 2020-21 NBA regular season and the anticipation for the NBA playoffs has begun. The Portland Trail Blazers are currently 6th in the Western Conference and have shown incredible resilience despite having a tough schedule. This will be their last easy matchup as they take on the Jazz, Suns and Nuggets after this game.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets are at the bottom of the league standings and have been tanking nearly all year. They will look to grab a top prospect from the 2021 NBA Draft and have a 52.1% chance of getting a top 4 pick, including a 14% chance of getting the coveted 1st overall pick.
Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers: Injury Report
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets have one of the most injury-riddled rosters in the league. They have sidelined Sterling Brown (face lacerations), Kevin Porter Jr. (left ankle sprain) and DJ Wilson (health and safety protocols) for this game.
Meanwhile, John Wall (right hamstring strain), Eric Gordon (right groin strain), Dante Exum (right calf strain) and David Nwaba (right wrist sprain) have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Moreover, Kelly Olynyk and Christian Wood are both questionable for the game due to right ankle soreness, while Avery Bradley is out for personal reasons.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have most of their lineup healthy except for their veteran scorer off the bench, Carmelo Anthony. Melo is listed as questionable due to a right ankle sprain. Meanwhile, Zach Collins continues his rehab and is expected to return in time for the playoffs. He underwent surgery to repair his left ankle stress fracture.
Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers: Predicted Lineups
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are undergoing a rebuild and coach Stephen Silas is trying new lineups every game to analyze the young talent on his roster. They have several players employed on two-way contracts and 10-day deals. The team's starting 5 is practically different every game, making it difficult to accurately predict a lineup.
DJ Augustin is expected to be the point guard and Armoni Brooks usually shares the backcourt with him. However, Brooks came off the bench in their last game and DaQuan Jeffries started as the two-guard. Jae'Sean Tate is expected to keep his small forward position. Kenyon Martin Jr. was the center in their last game and should continue in that role against Portland. Anthony Lamb could lineup at the 4.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers boast a healthy starting lineup against an injury-plagued Rockets team. Damian Lillard will be the usual point guard, with CJ McCollum as the shooting guard. Norman Powell will be the small forward again while Robert Convington keeps his job as the power forward for this team after impressive performances. Finally, Jusuf Nurkic will reprise his role as the center, with Enes Kanter coming off the bench. Anfernee Simons and Derrick Jones Jr. are expected to receive higher minutes off the bench given Carmelo Anthony might not lace up.
Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers: Predicted Starting 5s
Houston Rockets
Point Guard - DJ Augustin | Shooting Guard - DaQuan Jeffries | Small Forward - Jae'Sean Tate | Power Forward - Anthony Lamb | Center - Kenyon Martin Jr.
Portland Trail Blazers
Point Guard - Damian Lillard | Shooting Guard - CJ McCollum | Small Forward - Norman Powell | Power Forward - Robert Covington | Center - Jusuf Nurkic.
