On Friday October 23rd, the Houston Rockets (1-0) are attempting to start their first winning streak of this brand new season. After their dominant season-opener against Dallas, the squad won’t even have to leave Texas for this next one.
The San Antonio Spurs (0-1) should be a much tougher opponent, plus they’re coming in after an underwhelming performance in their first game. I’d expect them to have a chip on their shoulder tonight.
As previously mentioned on Roundtable, Houston only won a single contest in their four games against the Spurs last season. Each loss was by double-digits, so Ime Udoka and his team have a lot to prove as well.
While the game is technically being played at a neutral site, Austin has basically adopted San Antonio as their home team. Don’t expect to see too much red in the crowd, especially when the Spurs are coming off of a run to the NBA Finals.
When: Friday, October 23rd @ 8:30 PM CT
Where: Moody Center ATX in Austin, Texas
Where to watch: Amazon Prime (with subscription)
Coming into the second game for each of these two teams, they both have some significant players listed as questionable. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a full rotation of players on both sides, but that might not be the case.
Steven Adams is still dealing with discomfort in his right calf after only playing in the preseason opener on October 9th. Reed Sheppard was just diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee, and could see Bogdan Bogdanović taking his minutes sooner rather than later, as discussed on Roundtable.
The Spurs could be without De'Aaron Fox and Keldon Johnson, while Tobias Harris is sidelined with a strained left calf. They also have a rookie big-man, Jayden Quaintance, who will be out for a significant amount of time.
Houston Rockets Injury Report:
Questionable: Steven Adams (Right Calf Tightness/Soreness)
Questionable: Reed Sheppard (Left Knee Contusion/Bone Bruise)
San Antonio Spurs Injury Report:
Questionable: De'Aaron Fox (Right Wrist Sprain)
Questionable: Keldon Johnson (Mouth Laceration)
Out: Tobias Harris (Left Calf Strain)
Out: Jayden Quaintance (Right Knee Surgery)
Conclusion:
With this early-season matchup being the first nightcap on Amazon Prime this year, the expectations couldn’t be higher. The NBA chose to make this Texas two-step available for virtually everyone to stream.
Regardless of who plays, we should be getting some intense basketball in only the second game of the season. Alperen Şengün and Kevin Durant hope to be more competitive against teams at the top of the west this year, and Victor Wembanyama is first on their list.