Home

NBA

Will John Wall Play Tonight? Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers: Preview, Lineups & Predictions

Published 01/28/2021, 7:30 AM EST

Follow Us

via Imago

The new-look Houston Rockets are finally starting to look like a cohesive unit and with their latest victory against the Wizards, they have a three-game winning streak. They will look to maintain this fantastic run of form in their next game.

The Portland Trail Blazers meanwhile have been struggling as they suffered their seventh loss against the Thunder. Much of it has been because of the multiple injuries to their key players. The Blazers will hope that their superstar Damian Lillard and other stars can produce some results.

The Rockets face off against the Blazers tonight at 7:30 PM. Take a look at the injury updates and predictions for the same.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Houston Rockets injury updates and lineup prediction

The Rockets are finally finding some form, having gotten three victories in a row. They now have seven victories in the sixteen games they have played. After trading their talisman, James Harden, the Rockets find themselves with a very new look side.

USA Today via Reuters

The team has some major injury concerns for the upcoming clash. Backup guard Brodric Thomas is out with an ankle injury, and new signings Chris Clemons and Dante Exum are out with an Achilles and calf injury, respectively. The newest signing, Kevin Porter Jr. hasn’t joined the team due to personal reasons.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Christian Wood is also probable for the next game, as he recovers from an ankle injury. They will hope that they can continue this fantastic run of form against a depleted Blazers side.

Possible Lineup

John Wall (G)

Victor Oladipo (G)

Jae’Sean Tate (F)

P. J. Tucker (F)

DeMarcus Cousins (C)

Trail Blazers injury updates and lineup prediction

The Portland Trail Blazers find themselves in a precarious position right now as two of their starting lineup mainstays CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic are missing from the side.

The Blazers have multiple injury woes. McCollum is out with a hairline fracture to his left foot. Nurkic, meanwhile, is out with a right wrist fracture. Backup center Zach Collins and guard CJ Elleby will also miss the game against the Knicks with an ankle and a foot injury, respectively.

USA Today via Reuters

Apart from these injuries, forward Robert Covington has also been sidelined with a concussion. Rodney Hood and Derrick Jones Jr. are probable for the next game as they recover from a thigh and quadriceps injury, respectively.

The Blazers will hope that their veteran stars like Carmelo Anthony and Rodney Hood fill the scoring void left by McCollum.

Probable Lineup

Damian Lillard (G)

Rodney Hood (G)

Derrick Jones Jr. (F)

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Carmelo Anthony (F)

Enes Kanter (C)

Predictions

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The Rockets are on a three-game winning streak and have looked impressive lately. Given the variety of injury issues the Blazers have, the Rockets have an edge over the Blazers.

 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Aditya Mohapatra

1,275Articles

One take at a time

Aditya Mohapatra is a sports enthusiast who primarily covers the NBA for EssentiallySports. Having graduated in Mass Communication, he has prior experience in writing for ABP News, and has been writing for EssentiallySports since November 2020. This die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan feels that LeBron James is the best thing to have ever happened to the NBA, and will hold a healthy debate with anyone suggesting otherwise.
Show More>