Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers: preview and player stats (Mar 31, 2027)

Head coach Ime Udoka said Monday that Adams could return as soon as Sunday's game at Washington, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports. The veteran center is still recovering from a right soleus strain and hasn't played since Oct. 23. With Adams and Clint Capela (ankle) both sidelined, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith figure to see increased burn at center.

Head coach Ime Udoka stated Monday that Capela (ankle) could be cleared to return either Nov. 15 in Washington or Nov. 16 in Miami, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports. Capela is missing a fourth straight game Monday against Denver due to a right ankle sprain, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. He'll presumably need to log 5-on-5 work before gaining clearance to play, though the Rockets haven't disclosed how far along the big man is in his rehab.

Head coach Micah Nori said Morant met with a doctor in Los Angeles, who gave him a positive outlook on his recovery from the hamstring injury. While Nori declined to update Morant's timetable, he added Morant "may not be out for as long as we thought," Trail Blazers Insider Sean Highkin reports. Morant was initially given a four-week timetable after he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on Oct. 30. It sounds like he's making solid progress, though it would be surprising to see him beat that timetable given the tricky nature of hamstring injuries. Scoot Henderson will continue to start in his absence and there will be more minutes available for Jrue Holiday.

Sharpe suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and is expected to miss six months, per Shams Charania of ESPN. It's a tough blow to the Trail Blazers' depth on the wing ahead of training camp. Sharpe, who is now likely to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, had been ticketed for a reserve role behind Toumani Camara following an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign, which saw average a career-high 20.8 points, 1.4 steals and 2.1 three-pointers per game over 50 regular-season appearances. The door is now open for Vit Krejci and Jeremy Sochan to compete for bench minutes during camp.

Krejci underwent surgery on his fractured left ankle Wednesday and will be re-evaluated in eight weeks, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports. Krejci suffered the ankle injury in last Wednesday's win over the Suns and is set to miss an extended period after undergoing surgery. With the 26-year-old and Ja Morant (hamstring) both on the shelf, Jrue Holiday and Sidy Cissoko should continue seeing increased minutes.

Youngblood has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Thunder. Youngblood came down awkwardly following a fastbreak layup attempt at the start of the fourth quarter and didn't return. He's recently carved out a role in Portland, averaging 14.8 minutes per game over the past five games, so in his absence, Sidy Cissoko and Scoot Henderson are candidates for increased roles.