Silas out; players nearing return

With the Rockets scheduled to fly to Miami on Sunday for their first road game of the preseason, there were hopes but little certainty that they would be back to full strength.

Rockets coach Stephen Silas on Saturday missed a fifth-consecutive day because of NBA health and safety protocols but there were again hopes that he is on the verge of producing the numbers necessary in testing to be cleared.

“Hopefully, he’s back (on Sunday),” Rockets coach John Lucas, who has run the practices and coached in Friday’s game, said. “He’s very, very close. We’re excited about having him back. I must have talked to him six times today. We’ll talk again, but I think he’s really, really close.”

Forward Jabari Smith Jr., who missed Friday’s game with a sprained left ankle, is not expected to practice but has stepped up his workouts.

Center Alperen Sengun who was out on Friday after a dental procedure and Eric Gordon, who sat out for a rest day, are both expected to be available when the Rockets face the Heat on Monday.

Practice draws large crowd

The Rockets on Saturday held their open practice for about 7,000 fans at Toyota Center, twice the crowd of last season’s practice. The public scrimmage is an annual event, but rarely has its participants been more exuberant.

Team Boban defeated Team EG, with Boban Marjanovic comically playing for the crowd with a dribble exhibition and a bear hug of Jalen Green to momentarily keep him from adding to his dunk show. Eric Gordon did not put himself in the game with Green; Josh Christopher and K.J. Martin provided the dunks expected for such an occasion with Tari Eason collecting them on the other end.

“It was really fun,” guard TyTy Washington, who declared himself the winner of the dance competition, said. “I think the best part was the rookie dancing.”

With 10 players 21 years old or younger, Washington said the event was similar to a college midnight madness.