Hamilton gets start with Parsons sick
Forward Chandler Parsons left Toyota Center around 5:30 p.m. Saturday before the game against the Pistons.
He didn’t play because of a sinus infection and migraine. It was Parsons’ second straight sick day — he missed Friday’s practice because of his ailments.
He said the illness took hold this past week when the Rockets were completing their five-game road trip.
“It started in Sacramento,” Parsons said. “I was getting a sore throat. I thought I was just rundown and just got worse and worse. I couldn’t get out of bed (Friday). It was really bad.”
He said he is sensitive to light and noise, and he started taking antibiotics Saturday.
The newest addition to the Rockets, forward Jordan Hamilton started in Parsons’ place and scored 13 points in 33 minutes.
Shrugging off his foul deeds
Guard Pat Beverley fouled out of his third game this season Wednesday against the Clippers.
It marked the second time he fouled out of a game on the just-completed trip.
But despite that, before the Rockets hosted Detroit on Saturday night, Beverley said he wasn’t going to stop playing defense his way.
“I fouled out of two games on that trip, so that could have been better,” he said. “But I am going to keep playing aggressive. That is how I play.”
He said that even when calls aren’t going his way, he will focus on defense.
“If I foul out of 25 games, I foul out of 25 games,” he said. “I am not going to change the way I play.”
Also on the trip, Beverley was the victim of an uncalled foul — he was punched in the stomach in the first quarter of the game against the Kings on Tuesday. He said he didn’t bring it up to the referees.
“I mentioned it to DeMarcus ( Cousins, who hit him),” he told reporters Saturday. “I definitely can’t tell y’all what I said to him.”
Silver lining to injuries
The Rockets were without forward Chandler Parsons (illness) Saturday night and had a scare in Friday’s practice with guard Pat Beverley, who was hit in the mouth.
But Beverley played Saturday in the 118-110 win over the Pistons.
Center Greg Smith missed the game and is out indefinitely after undergoing exploratory arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday.
Center Dwight Howard said the Rockets aren’t fazed by the absences because they went through so many early.
“Having all those injuries early on made other guys get more playing time and improve their game,” he said. “I think going through that made us stronger.
“Injuries aren’t good, but that experience was. If we are missing Chandler or Pat or whoever, we have faith that everyone can play because they have had to this season.”