Apr 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Houston Rockets center N'Faly Dante (3) block Los Angeles Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (10) in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets Look For a Win in Final Summer League Matchup

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Alec Elijah | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 5:46 PM ET

As the Houston Rockets get set to take on the Portland Trail Blazers in their final Summer League matchup, they will hope to garner at least one victory before leaving Las Vegas and give fans something to cheer for until the fall.

Both teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention for the Summer League, but that does not mean players will be taking the night off. This game is essentially the final showcase for undrafted rookies and SL invitees to impress teams and hopefully garner an NBA contract before the regular season unfolds.

Houston will need two-way signee Kennedy Chandler and UDFA Adonis Arms to once again step it up with Rockets leading scorer Reed Sheppard out for the final game, a feat they have already shown during a stunning OT loss to the Atlanta Hawks last game. Arms is averaging 18.0 points per game while shooting over 47 percent from the field in the Rockets' past two games.

Adonis Arms today in @NBASummerLeague:

24 points
7 assists
6 rebounds
3 steals
1 block

LEAGUE. HIM.
pic.twitter.com/RdNu0mRVCZ
— Scarlet and Black Insider (@SBInsiderHQ) July 14, 2025

For Portland, they have been the beneficiary of one of the more talented centers in this year's draft class as Chinese-born big man Yang Hansen has been one of their primary focal points during this mini-camp. The 7-foot-1 center is averaging 11.7 points, four rebounds, 3.3 assists, and two blocks in Las Vegas. Their third-year guard Rayan Rupert has also been great for them in Vegas, shooting 62.5% from the field and 70% behind the arc, logging 16.7 points per game.

N'Faly Dante dunks with force and shortly after getting injured, early in the game (with replays).
He will not return due to a left ankle sprain injury. pic.twitter.com/etkmwqVgqg
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 14, 2025

This could definitely be a huge problem for the Rockets, who may be down a big man heading into tonight's matchup as N'Faly Dante went down last game with a foot injury in the first quarter and would not return until halftime in a boot.

The Rockets will need to buckle down on defense against this Blazers squad if they hope to come out with a win. The remaining big men for Houston will be playing a crucial role in today's matchup, so we will need to see who will be up for the test.

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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