Trail Blazers at Rockets
The two most disappointing squads in the Western Conference square off
Wednesday when the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Houston Rockets.
Both teams were playoff representatives last season but Portland enters
this contest with a six-game losing streak and Houston is mired in a
four-game skid.
The Trail Blazers are concluding a four-game road trip and have lost by 12 or more points four times during their six-game slide, including Monday's 93-80 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The skid is the franchise's longest since losing 13 straight to end the 2012-13 season, and coach Terry Stotts is making sure the club doesn't take a confidence hit. "My biggest concern is that we compete," Stotts told reporters. "I think it’s in all of their character to compete every night. Certainly you don’t like to lose, you don’t want to lose, you can learn from losing, but I don’t think that’s going to take away from any of our competitive juices." Rockets coach Kevin McHale can relate after Monday's 111-95 home loss to the Boston Celtics - a performance McHale referred to as "muddy" after his team matched a season-worst with 22 turnovers.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), ROOT (Houston)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (4-8): Star point guard Damian Lillard has been a force and had 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists against San Antonio for his 11th 20-point outing in 12 games. Lillard is averaging 25.3 points despite recent 3-point struggles - he is 2-for-18 over the last three contests - and is trying to get a handle on why Portland struggles late in games. "I think it's a matter of us learning how to win games down the stretch," Lillard said after the loss to the Spurs. "We do all these things to give ourselves a chance and then when it's winning time, other teams are doing a better job of winning the game. I think that's what it's coming down to."
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (4-7): Houston trailed by 32 points in the third quarter against Boston and McHale pulled the starters early in the fourth quarter of a contest in which he felt the effort was lacking. "We're hanging our head," McHale said afterward. "Things aren't going our way and we hang our head. Bottom line, we haven't put together really good basketball all year." The Rockets are averaging 113.5 points and shooting 46.7 percent from the field in their four victories while sinking to 93.6 points and 39.7 percent in their seven defeats.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets have won 11 of the past home 14 meetings in the series.
2. Portland PF Meyers Leonard (shoulder) will sit out for the fourth consecutive contest.
3. Houston PG Patrick Beverley (ankle) will miss his third straight game and there is no timetable per his return.