Majority of starters sit out preseason finale

SAN ANTONIO — The Rockets spent much of the preseason giving their regulars close to regularseason minutes. That ended Friday when they finished the preseason with four starters back in Houston.

James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Eric Gordon and Clint Capela did not make the trip, leaving Ryan Anderson as the only starter who played against the Spurs.

Guard Pat Beverley is out while considering treatment options for his sore left knee. A person familiar with his decisionmaking said the timetable for his return would be roughly the same whether or not he opts for arthroscopic surgery.

“The way the schedule was, China and everything else, it was a good time to give them a break,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “The last game, you play them a game, maybe a quarter and a half, and don’t play them the second half, and try to avoid injuries.

“They’ve played pretty many minutes in the preseason, James and Trevor. And it’s one less (round trip.) We had to fly back to Houston yesterday. Why not take the opportunity to give them rest?”

Roster decisions likely no mystery

The Rockets could take until Monday’s deadline to make decisions on roster moves, but if their rotation is any indication, they seem to have already been made.

With two spots available, Tyler Ennis and Kyle Wiltjer have gotten consistent playing time in recent games, with Ennis starting Friday. Bobby Brown came off the bench Friday but had not played until benches were cleared in previous games.

Another decision has already been made, but was a certainty, anyway.

The Rockets will pick up their fourth-year option on center Clint Capela’s contract, a person with knowledge of the decision said. With Capela expected to start, there was no doubt the Rockets would pick up that option by the Oct. 31 deadline.

Prigioni returns from injury

More than a week after Pablo Prigioni took a hard shot from Pelicans center Alexis Ajinca, the Rockets guard played against the Spurs with a protective pad on his left shoulder. He said he would not have been playing yet, but after missing the previous two games, he wanted some game time before the preseason ended.

“I’m definitely not 100 percent, but I want to run up and down, get back that game feeling,” Prigioni said. “I’d like to give the shoulder a little more time, but this is the last preseason game so I will try to use it.”

Prigioni said Ajinca did not say anything to him about the hard foul, one possession after Prigioni drew a charge against him.

“I think he was just frustrated,” Prigioni said. “I don’t know if it was the previous play or something. I have a good relationship with him. I don’t think he did it on purpose, but it was tough.”

Friends first, rivals second

The Rockets’ Pablo Prigioni and the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili spent much of Friday night’s pregame warmups chatting, which differed from most days because they were face-to-face, rather than on the phone.

Prigioni said he speaks with at least one of his friends from Argentina’s national team almost daily.

On Friday, he and Ginobili were eventually joined by two of Argentina’s next generation, Patricio Garino and Nicolas Laprovittola. But as much as Prigioni enjoyed visiting with Ginobili, he said he does not like playing against him.

“It always special,” Ginobili said. “I don’t like to play against my friends. I prefer just to watch and enjoy when they play well. But I don’t like to play against my really close friends like him and (Luis) Scola.”