Houston Rockets Game 58 of 2015-16 Season vs Trail Blazers

Houston Rockets Game 58 of 2015-16  found H-Town tipping off against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Continuing SCS series of all 82 games from last season next up is the Houston Rockets Game 58 of 2015-16 versus the Portland Trail Blazers.

Feb 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless (4) shoots the ball over Houston Rockets forward Terrence Jones (6) during the first quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets added draft picks and signed free agents to improve upon an especially mediocre 41-41 campaign. Big man Dwight Howard left for Atlanta while free agents Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Nene Hilario and Pablo Prigioni joined Houston in free agency.

Hopes are these additions and the growth of existing assets will translate into a season similar to 2014-15. While fans wait for opening night on October 26th versus the Lakers hopefully this series will appease your cravings.

To that end, this series showcases the Rockets 82 games noting the pregame analysis, post game grades, and relevant video. Furthermore, SCS will highlight significant changes made by their opponents this summer. So, here it is – – enjoy all 82 posts as SCS takes you back over the 2015-16 season.

Game 58 – Portland Trail Blazers

Pregame Analysis:

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.

Houston Rockets game 58 full pregame analysis article

Post Game Analysis:

Following an overtime heart breaker to the Utah Jazz, the Houston Rockets (29-29) got a much-needed win, Thursday, against the Portland Trail Blazers (30-28). Down by 21 points during the first half, it seemed like the Trail Blazers were ready for another blowout win against the Rockets.

However, in the second half, Houston lived up to their nickname as Clutch City! James Harden and Dwight Howard carried the load on offense, while Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer became their defensive stoppers

The Rockets have now concluded their five-game West Coast road trip, in which they went 2-4. Although it will be nice to see the Rockets return to Clutch City Saturday, it will not get any easier, as they welcome the relentless San Antonio Spurs to the Toyota Center.

Coty Davis full post game and player grades for Houston Rockets game 58 available via this article.

Stat Leaders:

Down 20 points the Rockets and Harden’s 46 point effort brought the team back for a clutch victory. Davis obviously selected Harden as the top performer from Houston and gave Lillard the nod for the Blazers.

Houston Rockets game 58 versus Portland Trail Blazers NBA.com Box Score

Rockets Games vs Trail Blazers in 2016-17

• November 17th at home
• November 27th in Portland at Moda Center
• March 30th in Portland at Moda Center

Draft Picks and Free Agents

Following a season where Portland lost 4 starters the Trail Blazers shocked everyone by winning in spite of that set back. This summer they locked in C.J. McCollum and brought back key contributors while adding core components to weak areas of the roster. Kevin Durant’s signing with Golden State gave way to Festus Ezeli being freed up and the Trail Blazers in dire need of a front court protector snatched him up.

Draft Picks:

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: Jake Layman (47)

Incoming Free Agents/trade:

• Evan Turner  4-year, $70M exits Celtics
• Festus Ezeli on a 2-year $15M leaves Warriors

Exiting Free Agents/traded: 

• Gerald Henderson 2-year, $18M deal to 76ers
• Brian Roberts on a 1 year minimum contract to Charlotte

Re-upping:

• Re-signed forward Meyers Leonard to a reported four-year, $41 million deal
• Allen Crabbe 4-year, $75M  (Blazers reverses initial decision and matched Nets offer)
• C.J. McCollum a 4-year extension of $106M
• Maurice Harkless finally locked up his contract on a 4-year, $42M deal.

Unresolved:

• Chris Kaman

More Free Agent News

Next: Updated Free Agency Report

Next: Free Agency Profiles for all 30 Teams

Due to the large Houston Rockets fan base, SCS is always looking to add new talent to our writing team. To that end, we’re looking for individuals with a specialized focus.  Specifically, the first area  is perfect for someone who constantly surfs for breaking news on injuries, trades, insider info. Consequently this individual would select top news items providing timely quick hits to keep SCS readers in the loop.

The other writer would possess an especially strong social media background and would like to interact with Clutch City Fans. Therefore this person will promote SCS team content on facebook and twitter. As a result the successful candidate will  make sure to promote the best content coming from H-Town fans. In conclusion, if you’re a budding writer who possesses these qualities vist the SCS link, and fill out an application