Two injuries crop up in win, but damage is minimal

SAN ANTONIO — When Rockets center Clint Capela left the floor for X-rays Sunday against the Spurs, coach Mike D’Antoni braced himself for bad news.

D’Antoni tends to stay optimistic.

He did not Sunday. “They went to get it X-rayed,” D’Antoni said. “I’m thinking, ‘Ohhhh, this is not good,’ because he could not bend his hand. But it worked out all right.

“Clint should be fine. He just has a bruised hand. I was worried about that one.”

D’Antoni was not the only one worried. Capela also thought there could be a break that would cost him much more than some preseason playing time.

“I hit my hand on somebody’s head,” Capela said. “I was trying to go get the alley-oop.

“I thought it was something way worse. It’s better than I expected. I felt really good because at first I couldn’t move my hand. Whenever they did that X-ray and we saw the results, it was just a bad bruise, so that’s OK.”

Capela said he is day-to-day, but could miss one more game.

Though he missed one preseason game with a sore right foot, he was not concerned with lost playing time.

“Today I felt really good, my legs, my body,” Capela said. “I’m pretty confident about my shape to be ready for the regular season.”

Rockets guard Eric Gordon left Sunday’s 108-93 win over the Spurs with a strained ankle, but the injury was not considered a concern.

“Eric just jammed his foot,” D’Antoni said. “Just precautionary. He probably could have gone back in if it was a regularseason game.

“He’ll have a couple days off. He should be fine.”

Tucker makes up for lost playing time

Rockets forward P.J. Tucker did not know he would be making up for lost time Sunday against the Spurs.

After missing the Rockets’ first two preseason games with a sore back, he had returned to practice Friday and the starting lineup Sunday.

When he was through Sunday afternoon, he had logged 34 minutes in the 108-93 win over the Spurs, more than any other Rockets player has played in the preseason.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” said Tucker, who led the Rockets with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. “It was good to get my wind, get out there with the guys finally. I felt good.

“We had good spurts. I think we’re just going to keep going, get better.”

D’Antoni praises reconfigured Spurs

On Sunday, the Rockets got their first look at the rebuilt Spurs and a roster than has undergone so many changes, only two players — Marco Belinelli (for two seasons) and LaMarcus Aldridge (for one

season) played with Tim Duncan.

“I think you underestimate them at your peril,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “I don’t think you should do that. “They traded one All-Star (

Kawhi Leonard) for another All-Star ( DeMar DeRozan). You have two All-Stars in Aldridge and DeRozan. You do have a young point guard ( Dejounte

Murray), but he got a lot of experience last year. “( Pau)

Gasol comes in and Rudy Gay. “People forget. They’re good. Now, where they fit in the West, who knows where anybody fits. It will be super competitive. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re top four.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re five. Or if they’re sixth. Better not be first or second, maybe second if we’re first.”