Rockets vs. Pacers: 3 Big Things to Watch

The Houston Rockets kick off a four-game homestand tonight against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.

Starting its 2022-2023 season playing 11 of their first 15 games on the road, the Houston Rockets (3-12) have a chance to play in front of fans over the next week — kicking off a four-game homestand tonight against the 7-6 Indiana Pacers.

Here are three things to watch in this interconference battle...

Will Kevin Porter Jr. Play?

Houston may be without its starting point guard tonight, as Kevin Porter Jr. is listed as questionable due to low back soreness. 

Porter sustained the injury after taking a hit in the back by a member of the Mavericks in the third quarter. 

Even being banged up, the floor general finished with a near triple-double, scoring 17 points, pulling down 11 rebounds and eight assists. 

If his services are unavailable it will be a huge loss for the struggling Rockets offensively, as the fourth-year guard has taken major strides this season, averaging career-highs in points (19.1), rebounds (6.1) and assists (5.8.)

Porter joined center Bruno Fernando and forward Jae'Sean Tate on the injury report — who the Rockets have already ruled out ahead of their interconference match against the Pacers.

Can the Block Party Continue?

Registering 19 blocks in Wednesday's game - one shy of a franchise record - the Rockets had an all-around block party against the Mavericks. 

"We got 19 blocks — that’s crazy," Usman Garuba said. "That was effort. We want to win games, of course, we’re not winning as much as we want, but we play hard and that’s what we need."

The team saw six players swat two or more shots with Alperen Sengun leading the way with five rejections, Porter and Garuba followed not far behind with three of their own. 

Prior to the win, Houston had registered just 14 blocks throughout their three-game losing streak the showing - jumping up to tenth in the association in blocks 

Where Can Jalen Green Show More Versatility?

Despite not having a great shooting night on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks, Jalen Green showed his all-around potential on both ends of the floor. 

The 2021 No. 2 pick dished out six assists for the fourth straight game while also pulling down seven rebounds. 

"He’s starting to see his reads," coach Stephen Silas said. "We’re doing a better job of screening, we’re doing a better job of rolling so he can make those plays, but he’s doing a little bit of everything."

And while his 17-point performance snapped a six-game streak of scoring 20+ points, the second-year guard made winning plays all night in the 101-92 victory - being one of two Rockets players to finish with a +9 plus/minus.

Turnovers continue to be a problem for Green, finishing with five on the night, but the improvements elsewhere are a promising sign. 

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You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard

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