The Houston Rockets and Portland Trailblazers battle tonight in what could be the biggest game of the regular season for both clubs. Both teams are in a battle for 3rd place in the tough Western Conference. The Rockets (43-20) currently have a one game lead over Portland (41-20). However the teams are tied in the most important category, the loss column, at 20.
The season series is also tied at 1-1, so the winner tonight gets the tiebreaker if both teams end up with the same record. A Rockets win would give them a virtual 3 game lead over Portland (2 games + tiebreaker) with 18 games to go. A Blazers victory would place the teams in a virtual tie, give Portland the advantage in the loss column (20-21), plus the tiebreaker.
This game tonight is huge because the 3rd position could be crucial to the Rockets long term success in the Western Conference playoffs. If the 3rd seed survives the first round of the playoffs, they will likely play the 2nd seed in round two, currently Memphis. The Rockets split the season series with the Grizzlies this year 2-2.
Most importantly they would avoid the likely 1-8 matchup winner of Golden St vs Oklahoma City. Houston is winless (0-4) against Golden St this season. They are 2-0 against OKC, but an OKC team in the playoffs will look much different than the team Houston has faced in the regular season. Its basically trying to find the path of less resistance to the Western Conference Finals.
Portland will be playing just their 2nd game since losing starting guard Wesley Matthews to a ruptured achilles tendon. He is gone for the season. Recently acquired Aaron Afflalo will start in his place. Afflalo was acquired from Denver at the trade deadline to bolster the Blazers bench. But now with him in the starting lineup, Portland's bench becomes weaker once again.
The Rockets of course are still without center Dwight Howard (knee), who by the way says "he's feeling more explosive" these days. But MVP candidate James Harden has torched the Blazers this year. In the 2 games against Portland at Toyota Center, Harden has averaged 44.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists.
Both teams will be well rested. Neither has played since Saturday. Portland has the 3rd best home record in the NBA at 26-6. The Rockets are 19-11 on the road, and are playing the 2nd game of a 4 game roadtrip. They won in Denver on Saturday night while Portland was losing to the worst team in the west, Minnesota.
Last year the teams tied for the 4th playoff spot, but the Rockets won the tiebreaker and earned home court advantage in the playoffs. It didn't matter because the Blazers won the first 2 games at Toyota Center and ended up winning the series 4-2 on Damion Lillard's dramatic game-winner in Game 6 in Portand.
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