Portland Trail Blazers vs Houston Rockets: preview and player stats (Apr 9, 2027)

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 (foot) is out for Friday's game against Sacramento. Youngblood is in line for a second straight absence due to a bone bruise in his right foot. His next opportunity to run the floor will arrive Monday in Minnesota.

Injury/Illness - Right Knee Injury Management (2026-11-15, HOU@WAS). Prior reporting (2026-11-14): VanVleet (right knee injury management) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Wizards. VanVleet will sit out the front end of this back-to-back set, with his next opportunity to play coming Monday at Miami. With the veteran floor general sidelined, Reed Sheppard, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Bruce Thornton are candidates for increased playing time, while Amen Thompson figures to see increased on-ball duties.

League Suspension (2026-11-15, HOU@WAS). Prior reporting (2026-11-12): Smart has been suspended three games for throwing a punch during Wednesday's matchup against Golden State, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Smart, who was ejected from Wednesday's game for punching Charles Bassey, will begin serving his suspension Friday night against the Jazz, meaning he'll be eligible to return Wednesday versus Indiana. Bruce Thornton and Reed Sheppard should be in line for more minutes while Smart serves his three-game ban.

Injury/Illness - Right Soleus Strain (2026-11-15, HOU@WAS). Prior reporting (2026-11-14): Adams (calf) has been upgraded to probable for Sunday's game against the Wizards. Head coach Ime Udoka said Monday that Adams could be ready to play by Sunday, and that seems even more likely now that the veteran center carries a probable tag. Adams hasn't played since Oct. 23, so the Rockets may look to ease him back into things.

Injury/Illness - Right Ankle Sprain (2026-11-15, HOU@WAS). Prior reporting (2026-11-14): Capela (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game at Washington. Capela is trending toward a return to action, though he'll remain sidelined Sunday due to a right ankle sprain. His next chance to suit up will come Monday at Miami.

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-15, HOU@WAS).

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-15, HOU@WAS).