The last time the Houston Rockets met the Portland Trail Blazers they played them twice in five days with the Blazers taking both games. That led to the Blazers passing Houston and they’ve since gone on to move up to the sixth seed. Meanwhile the Rockets are in free fall currently sitting outside the playoffs.
In the days since their last game in Portland the Rockets have been mired in bad press focused on Daryl Morey shopping half the team, players returning due to failed medical exams and the major chemistry issues of the team.
Portland on the other hand has been winning based on the motivated play of Damian Lillard who has made it his personal mission to send a message to teams who shafted him by not selecting him as an All-Star Game.