Rockets' Wing Ruled Out Ahead of Matchup with Nuggets

The Rockets have alternated wins and losses for the last eight games, and will need to break that streak tonight against Denver.

It’s been an odd season for Houston, who saw bumps in the road from the word go in the form of Fred VanVleet’s injury. Despite that and some up-and-down on-court play, the Rockets still stand at No. 3 in a formidable Western Conference, though they’ll need to continue winning down the stretch to cement that spot.

Denver has seen a similar season, seeing injury after injury and subsequent inconsistent play on both ends. They’ve slipped all the way to the No. 6 seed after hanging around near the top all season, and will be hungry to grab a win following a loss to rival OKC.

Here are the injury reports for both Houston and Denver ahead of tonight’s game:

Houston Rockets injuries:

Steven Adams — Out: Left ankle surgery

Dorian Finney-Smith — Out: Left ankle injury management

Tristen Newton — Out: G League

Jae’Sean Tate — Out: Right knee sprain

Fred VanVleet — Out: Right knee ACL repair

Denver Nuggets injuries:

DaRon Holmes II — Out: G League

Cameron Johnson — Probable: Back spasms

Curtis Jones — Out: G League

Jamal Murray — Probable: Left ankle sprain

KJ Simpson — Out: G League

The Rockets don't get any major surprises on their injury report, with the two biggest hits being Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, who are slated to be out the rest of the season following respective injuries.

The team has listed wing Dorian Finney-Smith as out while managing his ankle sprain, which will be a hit against an opponent such as Denver. He's struggled to find his footing in Houston, but has still earned minutes in the last stretch, offering some wing insurance across 20-plus minutes per game.

Forward Jae'Sean Tate continues to work his way back from a knee sprain, and Tristen Newton is listed out on G League assignment.

All in all, it's an unsuprising injury report for Houston, though all the listed players will be missed as Denver is nearly fully healthy.

The Nuggets see a few notable players in Jamal Murray and Cameron Johnson listed, both of which are probable to play in tonight’s game. Murray avoided a major ankle injury days ago, and made his return versus Oklahoma City, scoring 21 points.

Johnson would leave that same game with back spasms, but would eventually return. He’s seen a down season for the Nuggets, averaging just 11.1 points on 44% shooting.

The Rockets and Nuggets tip off at 9 p.m. CT from Ball Arena in Denver, CO.