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Portland Trail Blazers Houston Rockets Game 4 Predictions

Written April 26, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Rockets Blazers Basketball The Houston Rockets came through with a big 86-83 win in game 3 over the Portland Trailblazers, and now have a 2-1 lead in the opening round series. In game 3 the Houston Rockets got just 7 points and 13 rebounds from Yao Ming, and I for one didn’t think the Rockets could win with that low of scoring effort from their big man. On top of that they got just 9 points from Ron Artest. It was Shane Battier who scored 16 points, Luis Scola who had a team high 19 points, Aaron Brooks dropped in 11, and a trio of bench players combined to score 24 points off the bench. The Rockets were also very good on the defensive side of things, and most importantly keeping Brandon Roy in check. Roy did have 19 points, but that is no where near his 27 point playoff average. The Blazers also got some scoring from starters LaMarcus Aldridge and Steve Blake, as Aldridge dropped in 13 and Blake added 16. The Blazers also got a big game out of reserve Rudy Fernandez, who came in and scored 17 points in 22 minutes. The big men in Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden were not factors in game 3, as they combined to score just 8 points. Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday night, and here is my thoughts on what each team needs to do to win the game, plus my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.

What the Trail Blazers have to do to win: It seems that though this team has a lot of young talent, the Blazers are going to go as far as Roy takes them. Roy was just 6 for 18 from the field in game 3, and that poor shooting really cost this team the game. Roy has to be spectacular for the Blazers, but he can’t do it alone. The Blazers have to get some more scoring in the inside if they want to win game 4. I was very impressed with the play of Blake, who also had 10 assists to go with his 16 points, and similar play in game 4 would be huge for the Blazers. I think the Blazers had the right idea of not letting Ming and Artest beat them, and I think that should be the key again in game 4. The Blazers definitely have the talent to win this series, but unless they win game 4, I don’t think they have much of a chance at all at moving on to the second round. Bet the Blazers +4.5 at Sportsbook.com.

What the Rockets have to do to win: I think the Rockets got a gift in game 3, as I think this team knows it can’t keep winning with the offensive efforts they got from Ming and Artest in game 3. Some credit has to be given to the rest of this team, as they stepped up and got the job done. While Scola and Battier were both excellent in game 3, I think the Rockets will need a better showing out of Brooks, who was just 3-11 from the field, and 5-8 from the free throw line. The bench was very strong for both teams in game 3, and I think that whoever has the better bench play in game 4 will be the ones winning the game. Look for both Ming and Artest to really bounce back in game 4, as I expect both of these guys to score around 20 points. The Rockets haven’t been out of the first round in a long time, and I think they know just how important this game is to breaking that streak and moving on this year. Bet the Rockets -4.5 at Sportsbook.com.

My Prediction: Rockets -4.5. This was a tough call for me, as I feel like this game could go a number of ways, but I just think the Blazers might be a little too young to win this big of a game on the road in the postseason. The Rockets tried to give them game 3 and they couldn’t cash in, and I don’t think they will even get that opportunity in game 4.

For those of you looking to do some NBA betting this postseason, check out our expert NBA picks and NBA odds at Betfirms.

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