The Houston Rockets are facing another setback as Amen Thompson will miss several games due to a sprained ankle, while Reed Sheppard is out for the season. With Thompson’s absence, Coach Ime Udoka must adjust his lineup, as Thompson has been a consistent contributor. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic, plagued by injuries to key players like Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs, find themselves struggling for playoff positioning, currently hovering around the seventh and ninth seeds in the Eastern Conference. Tonight, the Rockets play against the Magic, with tip-off at 7 PM CT. Fans are encouraged to join the Playback room to watch.
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Just as the Houston Rockets began to find their rhythm and the six-game homestand was shaping up to be an excellent launchpad for the rest of the season, misfortune struck once more with injuries.
Amen Thompson is set to miss several games due to a sprained ankle, and Reed Sheppard likely won’t return until the very end of the season at best. It’s probable that we have seen the last of Sheppard’s significant contributions during his rookie year.
Naturally, the Houston team won’t receive any sympathy from the Orlando Magic, a franchise that has faced injury woes that only teams like the New Orleans Pelicans (and recently, the Dallas Mavericks) can truly relate to. Paulo Banchero has been sidelined for 34 games, Franz Wagner for 20, while Jalen Suggs will not return this season after missing 30 games. Additionally, Mo Wagner has missed 35 games and is also finished for the season. Last year, the Magic were eliminated in seven games by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first round. They undoubtedly anticipated making further progress and being competitive for a top four playoff spot in the East. Instead, as this is being written, they find themselves half a game behind the seventh seed, in a tight battle with the ninth seed. Keep in mind, the seventh seed secures two home playoff games, while the eighth seed earns one home game and has two opportunities to advance. Conversely, the ninth seed only gets one home game and must win both that game and the subsequent away game to move on. It’s a significant distinction.
The Rockets will need to adapt to their new reality without Thompson, a player who has been a reliable asset all season, whether starting or coming off the bench. Ime Udoka heavily relies on Amen to cover many roles, and filling those gaps will now be even more challenging without the athletic talent of Thompson.
We’ll be in the Playback room this evening, and we encourage you to join us to watch the Rockets and discuss the game. Remember, we have a limited number of VIP passes available for anyone interested in watching the game. No League Pass is required!
Tip-off
7pm CT
How To Watch
Space City Home Network and Playback
Injury Report
Rockets
Fred VanVleet: GTD
Reed Sheppard: OUT
Amen Thompson: OUT
Magic
Jalen Suggs: OUT
Mo Wagner: OUT
The Line (as of this post)
HOU -4
Check here for updates
Looking ahead because we can
Wednesday night in Houston against the Phoenix Suns