
Houston and Portland have each won one matchup against each other this season.
The Houston Rockets (27-13) and Portland Trail Blazers (13-27) hope to make it 2-1 in their season series on Saturday night (10 ET, League Pass) in Portland. The Rockets had their five-game win streak snapped on Thursday, and the Blazers will try to end a four-game losing streak of their own.
Here are five things to know for the matchup:
1. Jalen Green is taking the next step: Green has helped lead the Rockets to the second-best record in the Western Conference at the halfway point of the 2024-25 season. His 21.5 points per game rank 28th in the NBA, and he’s doing so with career-best shooting splits of 43.4/35.7/87.5 in 32.9 minutes a night. Over eight games in January, the fourth-year guard has put up 30.3 points with elite shooting splits of 52.1/48.0/92.3. Houston went 6-2 in those contests.
2. Alperen Şengün making an All-Star case: Şengün has played his way into the first-time NBA All-Star discussion this season. In 31.4 minutes a night, the fourth-year center from Turkey is averaging 19.3 points and a career-best 10.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals. He’s already notched 25 double-doubles and three triple-doubles in 40 games, and his net rating (8.6) and plus-minus (5.7) are career-highs by a wide margin.
3. Tari Eason’s return: Eason returned from a 13-game absence due to left lower leg injury management in Houston’s loss on Thursday. In 24 minutes of action, the third-year forward recorded 16 points, four rebounds and a steal, showing no signs of any limitations. He has been an integral piece in Houston’s fourth-ranked defense (108.0), averaging 11.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and a combined 2.9 steals and blocks in 22.8 minutes as a reserve.
4. The turnover battle: Houston enters the contest averaging the seventh-fewest turnovers (13.6) across the association, while Portland commits the third-most (16.4). Both teams are good at creating opponent’s turnovers; however, with the Rockets 15.4% good for eighth and the Trail Blazers’ 15.3% good for tenth.
5. Portland’s backcourt scoring: The Blazers are led by their backcourt duo of Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe, who each pour in 18.2 points a night. Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 overall pick in 2023, has started showing signs off Portland’s bench in his second season as well. Over his last five games, Scoot is averaging 18.2 points, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 48.3% from the field and 43.3% from three-point range, including a career-high 39 points (13-for-18 FGs, 8-for-10 3-pointers) and six dimes in a loss on Jan. 14.