On Friday night, the Houston Rockets will take on the Denver Nuggets in one of the more anticipated games of the season.
The Rockets and Nuggets, as expected, are currently two of the top teams in the Western Conference, trailing only the 15-1 Thunder. Houston began its season slower than anticipated, but has since seen a hot streak that has it just a half-game behind the white-hot Nuggets.
The Rockets have won 10 of their last 11 games, but they’ve faced few opponents like the Nuggets, who have been a buzzsaw on both offense and defense this season. A win over Denver would mean moving into the two-seed, and could potentially have later season implications too, in terms of tie-breakers.
Tonight’s injury report is sure to play a factor, as both teams are already dealing with injuries in the early part of the season.
Here are the injury reports for both the Rockets and Nuggets ahead of tonight’s game:
Houston Rockets injuries:
Steven Adams — Questionable: Right ankle
Isaiah Crawford — Out: G League
Tari Eason — Out: Right oblique
Dorian Finney-Smith — Out: Left ankle
Kevon Harris — Out: G League
Jabari Smith Jr. — Questionable: Right knee
Fred VanVleet — Out: Right knee
Denver Nuggets injuries:
Aaron Gordon — Probable: Bilateral hamstring
DaRon Holmes II — Out: G League
Curtis Jones — Out: G League
Julian Strawther — Out: Lower back
The Rockets have numerous contributors listed on today’s injury report. Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith have been a mainstays all season, the former being out for the season with an ACL injury, and the latter yet to make his Rockets’ debut due to an ankle injury.
Tari Eason is slated to be sidelined for several more weeks after suffering an oblique injury a few games ago, and his two-way presence on the wing will certainly be missed on Houston’s end against Denver.
The most notable listed players for the Rockets are Steven Adams and Jabari Smith Jr., both of which are listed as questionable to play tonight. Both have dealt with minor injuries throughout the season, and have missed time sparingly.
Both will be vital in the frontcourt against Denver, who has former three-time MVP Nikola Jokic at the five. Adams is one of a few players across the league who can contend with Jokic’s size — especially in rebounding the ball — and Smith is similarly impactful on defense while adding a scoring punch.
Aaron Gordon, one of the Nuggets’ top offensive weapons, is listed as probable after dealing with a hamstring injury.
The Rockets and Nuggets tip off at 8:30 p.m. CT on Prime Video.
