Tough Tucker says he will play

The Rockets’ wins come, and of late, mostly go, but first-year coach Stephen Silas has discovered at least one staple he can count on night in and night out: forward P.J. Tucker.

“There are so many good things about P.J., as a leader, as a vocal organizer on defense, a hard-play guy,” Silas said. “He wants things to be done the right way, he leads by example and he doesn’t miss games.”

Tucker has played more games (650) than anyone in the NBA since the start of the 2012-13 season. He has not missed a game since April 2, 2017, a span of 254 consecutive games played — and has not missed a game with the Rockets since joining the franchise before the 2017-18 season.

“Ain’t nothing that can stop him,” teammate Sterling Brown said of Tucker. “He’s a true vet and a true professional. He’s got that dog and that hunger and that heart, and there’s nothing that can keep him down. When he’s out there we know what he’s going to bring, and he’s going to

give it his all.

“P.J. is one of the best — on the defensive end for sure. He doesn’t get enough credit for his (defense).”

The topic arises because Tucker left the Rockets’ loss to the Suns on Wednesday with a strained adductor, but he said he’s good to go for this weekend’s trips to Detroit and Dallas.

“I’ll get through it,” he said Thursday.