Rockets Face the Warriors on Wednesday With One Center: Adams and Capela Are Ruled Out, and Golden State Arrives on Eight Straight Wins
Houston beat Denver on Monday by winning the glass with small-ball lineups. Doing it again on Wednesday means Sengun alone in the middle against a Warriors team that just won by 51 - and the Rockets' two veteran centers will not be back until the road trip.
The Houston Rockets will play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at Toyota Center with one traditional center, and now it is official rather than likely. Steven Adams (calf) and Clint Capela (ankle), who both missed Monday's win over Denver along with Oscar Tshiebwe (illness), have been ruled out for the Warriors game, according to the Reuters and Field Level Media preview of the matchup. The Rockets expect Adams and Capela to return on their upcoming road trip from November 15-20.
Monday showed the workaround, and it worked. Alperen Sengun manned the middle alone and posted 20 points, 11 rebounds - a game-high five of them offensive - and eight assists, while Kevin Durant surpassed him on the glass with 12 rebounds alongside 23 points and eight assists. Houston finished plus-11 on the boards and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds in the 110-100 win that snapped a two-game skid. Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. combined for 16 rebounds with three offensive boards apiece, and Tari Eason recorded five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. “It's going to take a concerted effort when we're playing smaller,” coach Ime Udoka said.
The opponent arrives in the opposite condition. Golden State closed a six-game homestand on Monday by beating New Orleans 138-87 - its eighth straight win and its largest margin of victory ever at Chase Center - and begins a five-game road trip in Houston. Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski each scored 25 points and shot a combined 9-for-18 from behind the arc; rookie Yaxel Lendeborg continued his start with 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists; and the Warriors recorded 37 assists on 50 field goals, with Draymond Green and Al Horford finishing with six apiece.
Curry's 30.6 points per game are second in the NBA to Luka Doncic, and Lendeborg has been a revelation at 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. “We just have a really good feeling,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Everybody's having fun, excited to come into the gym every day, putting in the work. And it shows on the court just the way they're sharing the ball and making the right play.” For Houston at 8-3, Wednesday is the measuring stick Monday set up - the same small-ball rebounding effort, against the hottest team in the West, with no reinforcements until the road trip.
