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Houston Rockets Could Be Short a Starter vs Detroit Pistons

The Houston Rockets could be down a starter against the Detroit Pistons.
Justin Grasso|
Jan 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) battles for for the ball with his twin brother Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) battles for for the ball with his twin brother Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

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Detroit PistonsHouston Rockets

With a Monday afternoon matchup between the Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons approaching, the home team could be down a starter.

According to the official NBA injury report, the veteran wing Amen Thompson is dealing with calf tightness.

As of Monday morning, the Rockets consider Thompson questionable to play against Detroit.

Recently, Thompson missed his first action in weeks. When the Rockets paid a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers to close out their road trip, Thompson was not on the court.

His absence came after he was tasked with checking in for over 40 minutes in a matchup on the road against the Sacramento Kings. The Rockets lost that matchup by five points.

When the Pistons and the Rockets met earlier this season, Thompson was playing a slightly different role. The sophomore wing was coming off the bench and checked in for 23 minutes.

During that matchup, Thompson shot 2-5 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line. He scored eight points while coming down with five rebounds and dishing out three assists.

Since late December, Thompson started transitioning to a starting role on the Rockets, seeing his playing time increase.

Since January 5, Thompson has appeared in six games. He started in all of those matchups and averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Sitting second in the Western Conference, the Rockets are looking to improve to 29-13 against the Pistons on Monday. They have a comfortable 2.5 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies in the West.

Meanwhile, the Pistons slid to No. 9 in the Eastern Conference standings on Sunday night. With a 21-21 record, they hope to jump out of a two-game losing streak.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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