Lakers Could Benefit From Long Rockets Injury Report

An extensive Houston injury report could pay dividends for Los Angeles.

Nov 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28), with towel and arms around guard Fred VanVleet (5) during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

An extensive injury report for the Houston Rockets could pay major dividends for a chippy Los Angeles Lakers squad looking to secure the Western Conference's No. 3 seed.

Thanks to a cohesive, defense-first approach from several young recent lottery picks, Houston has already clinched its first playoff berth in five years.

WE ARE SO BACK.

For the first time since the 2019-20 season, the playoffs are returning to Houston!#Rockets | #Liftoff pic.twitter.com/1rq3NCEpBJ

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 3, 2025

But that's not all Houston has locked up. The Rockets have also secured the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed already, with an uncatchable 52-28 record on the year. Houston is three games better than the 49-31 Los Angeles Lakers and four games ahead of the 48-32 Denver Nuggets and L.A. Clippers, with just two games remaining in those schedules of all those teams.

Understandably, the Rockets are looking to rest a bunch of their best players prior to their Lakers encounter.

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Heading into the matchup, All-Star center Alperen Sengun (personal reasons), former All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet (ankle), top recent lottery pick Jabari Smith Jr. (groin) were all considered questionable to suit up, per a recent league injury report.

Now, the Rockets have announced that even more of their top players will sit out the game, seemingly throwing it in L.A.'s favor.

#Rockets injury/status report vs Lakers tonight:
OUT: Dillon Brooks (rest)
Tari Eason (left leg injury management)
Alperen Sengun (personal reasons)
Jabari Smith Jr. (groin)
Jae'Sean Tate (ankle)
Amen Thompson (rest)
Fred VanVleet (ankle)

— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) April 11, 2025

According to Adam Wexler of Sports Talk 790 Houston, Houston head coach Ime Udoka will sit out Sengun, VanVleet, Smith, plus forwards Dillon Brooks (rest), Tari Eason (left leg injury management), Jae'Sean Tate (ankle) and Amen Thompson (rest).

L.A. is currently 49-31 and very much in the driver's seat for the West's third seed.

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The Lakers have gone 6-4 across their last few contests, and now with matchups against a pre-emptively surrendering Rockets squad and the tanking Portland Trail Blazers on the docket, it appears likely that they will cross the 50-win threshold for just the second time since 21-time All-Star power forward LeBron James signed on as a free agent in 2018 — the year his new L.A. running mate Luka Doncic was drafted.

Losing the 6-foot-11 Sengun for Houston will hurt especially. Through 75 healthy games, the 22-year-old is averaging 19.2 points on 49.6 percent shooting from the floor and 69.2 percent shooting from the free throw line, 10.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks a night.

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