Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets – Game #66
Blake Wesley will try to topple the Rockets tonight (Photo via Twitter)
On the second night of a back-to-back, the San Antonio Spurs host the Houston Rockets at the Frost Bank Center. Last night, the Spurs fell to the Golden State Warriors despite Victor Wembanyama going for 27 points and 14 rebounds (see the Grades). San Antonio has a record of 14-51 on the season, while the Rockets are 29-35.
The Spurs had won two straight home games before last night’s loss. San Antonio had also just defeated the Warriors two days earlier.
The Rockets have played well recently, as they’ve won four of their last five games. The second game in that stretch was a 114-101 victory over the Spurs in Houston. In that game, Alperen Sengun led the way with a career-high 45 points to go along with 16 rebounds.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
Despite missing games recently, neither Victor Wembanyama nor Devin Vassell are on the injury report for the Spurs. That’s great news for San Antonio.
Unfortunately, Keldon Johnson is listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Rockets due to an illness. Additionally, Cedi Osman will miss another game with an ankle injury.
Houston Rockets Injury Update
The Rockets dodged a bullet after Alperen Sengun went down recently with what appeared to be a gruesome injury. Doctors diagnosed him with a bone bruise on his knee and a severe ankle injury. While he’ll be out for a while, Sengun didn’t suffer the career-altering injury that many feared.
Also out tonight for the Rockets is Cam Whitmore. The rookie, who is dealing with a knee injury, had 19 points in 20 minutes against the Spurs in their recent matchup.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
With all the starters healthy, it’s safe to assume that head coach Gregg Popovich will go with Tre Jones at point guard, Devin Vassell at shooting guard, Julian Champagnie at small forward, Jeremy Sochan at power forward and Victor Wembanyama at center.
Considering that Wembanyama missed time recently with an ankle sprain, Popovich may opt to limit his minutes in this back-to-back affair. That would mean more minutes for backup centers Zach Collins and Dominick Barlow.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Rockets
The Rockets are favored by three points and the over/under is 222 points. The smart money is on the Spurs tonight. San Antonio should have success being at home, especially considering both Alperen Sengun and Cam Whitmore are out. Those two players were arguably Houston’s best when they last beat the Spurs.