In time, the rebuilding Houston Rockets are hoping that Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. will develop into one of the NBA’s best backcourts. On Friday, Houston’s young guard duo will welcome in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers, who have ranked among the league’s top backcourts for quite some time.
The Rockets enter Friday badly needing a win, having lost their last nine games. For Portland, a road game at the lowly Rockets presents a chance to snap their own two-game slide, as they look to convince Lillard that they can win at a high-enough level for him to want to stay put.
Here’s when you should tune in for the game, which also marks the debut of Houston’s new City uniforms and custom blue court at Toyota Center:
- Date: Friday, Nov. 12
- Time: 7:00 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBA League Pass
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (1-10)
- Guard: Kevin Porter Jr.
- Guard: Jalen Green
- Forward: Jae’Sean Tate
- Forward: Christian Wood
- Center: Daniel Theis
Portland Trail Blazers (5-7)
- Guard: Damian Lillard
- Guard: CJ McCollum
- Forward: Norman Powell
- Forward: Robert Covington
- Center: Jusuf Nurkic
Projected lineups are based on each team’s game notes.
As for injuries, Kevin Porter Jr. (left thigh contusion) is listed as probable. Considering that he played through the issue on Wednesday, it would clearly be a surprise if Friday brings a different outcome. John Wall remains out due to a mutual decision for him not to play, with Houston prioritizing minutes for the development of younger players. Rookie big man Alperen Sengun will return after missing one game due to an illness.
Portland’s injury report lists Norman Powell as questionable due to a left quad strain. Like Porter, he played in his team’s most recent game.
This post originally appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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