Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans Injury Report

Houston will face off against New Orleans tonight, hoping to showcase more high-octane offense.

Sep 29, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate (8) poses for a picture during Houston Rockets media day at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On Tuesday night, the Rockets will look to show off their new-and-improved offensive firepower yet again, this time versus the New Orleans Pelicans.

Their bout with NOLA will be Houston’s third of the preseason, having already dispatched of Atlanta and Utah days ago. They've yet to be defeated so far, beating Trae Young and the Hawks by nine, and the down Utah Jazz by 13 points.

So far, the Rockets have looked as they were advertised in the offseason: like one of the best teams in the NBA.

Their offense has looked stellar both with and without superstar Kevin Durant, as they’ve averaged 130 points through two contests on 51% shooting overall.

Durant has galvanized the team’s scoring punch by offering his skillset singularly, as well as taking pressure off his co-stars in Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, as well as the rest of the Rockets’ deep rotation.

Now, Houston only needs to continue to improve and build the chemistry that’s sure to come with the regular season.

Below are the injury reports for both Houston and New Orleans:

Houston Rockets injuries:

Fred VanVleet — Out: ACL tear

Dorian Finney-Smith — Out: Ankle

Jae’Sean Tate — Out: Ankle

New Orleans Pelicans injuries:

Derik Queen — Out: Wrist

Trey Murphy III — Out: Left foot soreness

Dejounte Murray — Out: Achilles

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The Rockets will unfortunately get used to seeing Fred VanVleet on the injury report. His ACL tear suffered in an offseason workout sent a ripple effect through the roster, which has made its way to Thompson and guard Reed Sheppard, who will now be looked at to step up.

Per various other reports, Houston is hoping that both Jae’Sean Tate and Dorian Finney-Smith will be back by the opener, with the latter likely needing a little more time.

The New Orleans Pelicans will be without guard Dejounte Murray due to an Achilles injury suffered in the 2024-25 regular season. Both rookie Derik Queen and a high-level contributor in Trey Murphy missed the team’s matchup versus Melbourne days ago with respective injuries.

The Rockets and Pelicans tip off at 7 p.m. CT tonight. New Orleans should offer another opponent that Houston can rev up against, given the team is projected to finish around the Play-In range in the Western Conference.

Houston will open up its 2025-26 regular season campaign with a ring-night bout against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder on Oct. 21.