The Blazers have won two of the three games against Houston this season, but the Rockets have started their campaign at Disney World like a house on fire. Which fire-throwing team will earn the W, when these two meet again on Wednesday at 9 AM (Manila time).

HOME TEAM: Portland Trail Blazers (30-38, 19-14at home)

Jusuf Nurkic continues to shine for the Trail Blazers in the Orlando bubble, but his latest show of force wasn’t enough to help Portland get past the Boston Celtics in a 128-124 loss on Monday. Nurkic, who scored 18 points in the win over the Memphis Grizzlies last Saturday, had 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists against Boston. He was a great complement to the outside game of Damiam Lillard, who banged in 30 points as well, with 5 3-pointers.

The Blazers shot well against Boston, but their defense allowed the Celtics to shoot even better. Portland went 50% from the floor and 45.2% from 3-point land, while Boston hit 54.5% of their shots and 60% from downtown.

With the high-scoring Rockets up next for Portland, the Blazers have no time to let their guns cool off. This should also be a call for CJ McCollum to bring enough bullets to help Lillard in the backcourt. McCollum scored just 17 points against Boston after putting up 33 in the Memphis game. Lillard and McCollum combined for 58 points when Portland took the Rockets to the woodshed in a 125-112 home win last January.

ROAD TEAM: Houston Rockets (42-24, 18-14 on the road)

A quick look at the box score of the Rockets vs. Milwaukee Bucks game on Monday could lead you to believe that Giannis Antetokounmpo and his crew won that game. The Bucks shot better from the field, had 26 more rebounds, and 40 more points in the paint than Houston. But it was Houston who got the W, 120-116, thanks to a mix of Russell Westbrook, the team’s outside sniping, and great care of the leather.

The Rockets shot the lights out against Milwaukee, going 21 for 61 from long range. They turned the ball over just 9 times and got 31 points from Russell Westbrook. James Harden, who was fresh off a 49-point explosion in the win over the Dallas Mavericks, had 24 markers.

Despite their lack of ceiling upfront, the Rockets have managed to survive and win games against bigger opponents. With their speed and craftiness in the backcourt, care of Westbrook and Harden, and ability to stretch the floor, the Rockets could spell another trouble for Portland, which now has a decision to make on whether to continue starting Nurkic and Zach Collins together or go small ball to match up with Houston.

PREDICTIONS:

Like Milwaukee, the Blazers have the firepower to keep up with Houston, but they’re also heftier. Despite Houston’s success with its small lineup, expect Portland to throw its weight around in this game and force the Rockets to adjust. The Blazers win this game, 122-119.