Trail Blazers at Rockets
Dwight Howard posted four straight double-doubles since returning to the lineup but the Houston Rockets are just 2-2 in that span. The Rockets will try to avoid a three-game losing streak when they host the scorching Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Lost in the shuffle of Damian Lillard’s brilliance during a triple-overtime victory over the Spurs on Friday was LaMarcus Aldridge’s continued solid play, and he will give Howard a battle down low.
Aldridge went for 32 points and 15 rebounds in the win at San Antonio and followed it up the next night with 27 points and 12 boards in a 114-88 win at the New Orleans Pelicans. The All-Star forward is taking on some extra responsibility in the post with center Robin Lopez out and has posted a double-double in five straight games. Houston’s two-game slide has shown some cracks in the defense that the team is hoping can be solved by Corey Brewer, who was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, KGW (Portland), ROOT (Houston)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (22-6): Portland had three different starters play 50 or more minutes on Friday but the team showed no fatigue in shooting 53.3 percent from the floor against New Orleans the next night. “Everybody came in locked in, everybody was ready to play, we executed and we defended,” Lillard told reporters. “And we were able to come out and get it done again.” Things don’t get any easier as the Trail Blazers will hit Oklahoma City on Tuesday for the completion of a stretch of four road games in five nights.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (19-7): Houston is hoping to have Brewer and Alexey Shved, who was also acquired in the three-team deal, in the lineup on Monday. Both were in the arena on Friday but could not play until Troy Daniels, who went from the Rockets to Minnesota in the deal, passed a physical. Brewer leads the league in steals (2.25) and should help a defense that allowed the Atlanta Hawks to shoot 51.4 percent from the field in a 104-97 home loss on Saturday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Rockets G James Harden handed out a season-high 14 assists on Saturday and has reached double figures in the category in three of the last four games.
2. The Trail Blazers knocked off Houston in six games in the playoffs last spring.
3. Portland G Wesley Matthews is 8-of-27 from the field over the last two games.