With top rookie Jalen Green again sidelined by hamstring soreness, the Houston Rockets will finish up play in the NBA’s 2021 summer league with Tuesday’s matchup versus the Portland Trail Blazers. Big man Alperen Sengun, who was also drafted in the first round at No. 16 overall, is also out as he travels back to Turkey to spend a few weeks at home.
Even without Green and Sengun, the Rockets still have two first-round rookies available in forward Usman Garuba (No. 23) and guard Josh Christopher (No. 24). With Sengun out, Garuba appears likely to earn more minutes and could make first start. To this point, Garuba’s playing time has been fairly limited due to his late arrival in Las Vegas after finalizing a contract buyout with Spanish club Real Madrid.
Portland has an unusual summer roster from the standpoint of having more veterans than most teams, headlined by former Rockets forwards Michael Beasley and Kenneth Faried. Among younger players, the most intriguing name is likely rookie forward Greg Brown III, who was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft.
Here’s when and how you should watch:
- Date: Tuesday, Aug. 17
- Time: 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT
- TV Channel: ESPNEWS
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free) or via Watch ESPN, with active subscription
- Complete Summer Rosters: Portland, Houston
Both the Rockets and Blazers enter with 2-2 records, so only the winner will finish with a winning summer league stint. Houston is 2-0 in games that Green has fully participated in, and they are 0-2 when he does not.
The Rockets started Sengun, Christopher, and three players with NBA experience (Armoni Brooks, KJ Martin, and Tremont Waters) in Sunday’s summer loss to Orlando. In Sengun’s absence, Garuba appears likely to get the start on Tuesday. Meanwhile, in Portland’s most recent game on Saturday (a loss to Phoenix), the Blazers started Beasley, CJ Elleby, Trendon Watford, Kobi Simmons, and Emmanuel Mudiay.
Note: This post first appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
