All eyes are on Monday’s Western Conference battle between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder. These two youthful cores are expected to be among the biggest title contenders for years to come and have shown plenty of evidence why they should each be taken seriously this season.
Houston will be without Fred VanVleet who reinjured his ankle after returning from an 11-game absence. In addition, Alperen Sengun is listed as questionable with a lower back issue, Dillon Brooks is questionable with a right knee contusion, Steven Adamas is questionable with left ankle soreness and Tari Eason is questionable with a leg issue.
It should be noted that this matchup is the first half of a back-to-back for the Rockets as they are set to take on the Pacers on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the injury report as tip-off gets closer.
Houston currently holds a record of 37-23 which is good for fifth place in the Western Conference. The Rockets sit just above the pack of teams between seeds 6-10 that are separated by just one game in the standings. With 22 games remaining in the regular season, every game carries some additional weight with the standings taking full shape.
Sengun headlines this list of names and is averaging 19.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season, earning his first All-Star appearance. Amen Thompson has also found his stride in recent weeks with his statistical output climbing to 13.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
If either is out, expect a leap in usage for Jalen Green. The former second-overall pick is averaging 21.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Especially with VanVleet back on the sideline, Green will be tasked with being the primary creator of the offense and this will be further magnified without Sengun or Thompson.
