Rockets To Miss Talented Defender For Matchup With Okc Thunder

Tonight, nan Houston Rockets will look disconnected against nan Oklahoma City Thunder, hoping to drawback immoderate momentum astatine nan midway constituent of nan season.

It's adjacent to opportunity nan Rockets person underachieved comparative to expectations astatine this point, sitting astatine No. 6 successful nan Western Conference astatine conscionable 23-14.

Superstar Kevin Durant has added nan expected violative boost nan squad needed past season, though it's deficiency of existent play-making owed to Fred VanVleet's injury, arsenic good arsenic a measurement backmost connected defense person led to a caller slide. Houston has won conscionable 2 of its past six games, dropping games to nan Kings, Trail Blazers and Mavericks.

They hit nan Bulls days ago, though they consciousness acold distant from breaking retired of this slow stretch.

A triumph complete Oklahoma City could surely beryllium a morale boost, and could service arsenic a launchpad into nan 2nd half of nan season. The Thunder are nan defending champions, and caller disconnected their champion of nan play having taken down nan Spurs days ago.

The Thunder and Rockets past met up connected Opening Night, pinch OKC narrowly winning retired successful a tight, double-overtime contest.

Here is nan wounded study for some Houston and Oklahoma City:

Houston Rockets injuries:

Isaiah Crawford — Out: G League

Tari Eason — Out: Right ankle sprain

Dorian Finney-Smith — Out: Left ankle management

Tristen Newton — Out: G League

Fred VanVleet — Out: Right ACL

OKC Thunder injuries:

Luguentz Dort — Questionable: Left ft soreness

Isaiah Hartenstein — Out: Right soleus strain

Thomas Sorber — Out: Right ACL recovery

Nikola Topic — Out: Surgical recovery

The Rockets will beryllium without respective notable contributors, astir applicable of which will beryllium two-way guardant Tari Eason.

Eason is listed arsenic retired pinch a correct ankle sprain, a large rustle against nan Thunder. Eason’s 12.0 points per crippled connected 48% shooting could surely beryllium utilized against OKC, though his protect talents will beryllium much than missed fixed nan Thunder’s scorers.

Houston will besides beryllium without helping Dorian Finney-Smith arsenic he continues to activity his measurement backmost from an ankle injury, and Fred VanVleet, who has yet to play this play aft his offseason injury.

The Thunder person 1 questionable nickname successful All-Defense helping Luguentz Dort, and its starting halfway successful Isaiah Hartenstein is listed arsenic retired pinch a correct soleus strain.

Houston and Oklahoma City will look disconnected astatine Toyota Center astatine 7 p.m. CT.