This afternoon, the Houston Rockets will face off against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, hoping to quickly get back into the win column.
Prior to Friday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs in NBA Cup play, the Rockets had ripped off a then-league-high five-game win-streak, fueled by a combination of both scorching offense and steady defense.
MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama and co. would prove to be the better team for 48 minutes Friday, issuing Houston a 121-110 loss. Now, the Rockets will look to Sunday’s contest as a way to get back on track.
Houston currently stands at 5-3, good for No. 5 in the Western Conference. The Bucks are in a similar position in the Eastern Conference at 6-3, and will be looking to Sunday’s game similarly.
Here are both injury reports for the Rockets and Bucks ahead of Sunday’s game:
Isaiah Crawford — Out: G League
Dorian Finney-Smith — Out: Left ankle
Kevon Harris _ Out: G League
Fred VanVleet — Out: Right ACL
Alex Antetokounmpo — Out: G League
Giannis Antetokounmpo — Probable: Left knee
Kevin Porter Jr. — Out: Right knee
Taurean Prince — Out: Neck strain
The Rockets continue to see two notable injuries consistently on their IR: Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith.
VanVleet is likely to miss the entire season with a torn ACL suffered in an offseason workout, hampering the team’s backcourt depth. Finney-Smith, one of Houston’s more notable free agent signings, has yet to make his way back from an offseason ankle surgery, though the team could certainly use his defense and shooting ability on the wing.
The Rockets have dealt with other injuries to players like Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams and more, as recently as the last few games. Though no others are listed for Sunday, which should help the team’s overall product. Both Adams and Smith will especially be helpful against the Bucks’ frontcourt, which is among the better in the league owning an MVP candidate and having signed Myles Turner in the offseason.
The Bucks, too, have notable players on their IR, including former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, though he’s listed as probable to play. Few players in the league play more of a factor on a game-to-game basis than the former champion. Kevin Porter Jr., one of the team’s better scoring guards, will sit out.
The Rockets and Bucks tip off at 2:30 p.m. today.
