Injury issues continue with Oladipo sitting
The Rockets’ injury issues with their starting lineup moved back to the backcourt on Friday with guard Victor Oladipo out with a sore right foot and ankle. Rockets coach Stephen Silas said he was unsure if Oladipo was going on the Rockets’ three-game road trip or how long he might be out.
“I guess they are doing some tests and whatnot on his foot,” Silas said.
Eric Gordon, who has averaged 22.8 points on 46 percent shooting in eight games as a starter this season, will return to the starting lineup, Silas said. The Rockets will change starting lineups for a seventh consecutive game, having used no lineup for more than four games, none for more than three games since James Harden was traded.
Oladipo went out of Thursday’s game after returning late to the court for the start of the second half, playing four minutes and then going back out. He did not attempt a shot or get a rebound or an assist in those four minutes while struggling with the injury. Oladipo had come away limping after he tried to stop Heat guard Max Strus onafast break.
Oladipo has struggled in recent games, averaging 14 points on 34.6 percent shooting, 27.6 percent 3-point shooting in his past five games played. The Rockets have gone 1-4 in those games. He had averaged 22 points in his first six games with the Rockets.
Silas said that Rockets center Christian Wood, who has missed the Rockets past four games with a sprained right ankle, is still limping and still has swelling.
Forward P.J. Tucker did not practice Friday and is questionable to play Saturday with a bruised thigh. He has never missed a game in his four seasons with the Rockets and has played the most games in the NBA since returning to the league in the 2012-13 season.
Center will sign two-way contract
Needing help in the frontcourt with center Christian Wood out, the Rockets will sign center Ray Spalding off their G League affiliate’s roster to a two-way contract, a person with knowledge of the move said. The Rockets will waive guard Brodric
Thomas to sign Spalding to one of their two two-way contracts, the individual said.
Spalding, 23, has averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the first two games of the season. He had been in training camp with the Rockets before last season for eight days after playing 14 games with the Suns and Mavericks in 2018-19.
A 6-9 center out of Louisville, Spalding has averaged 14.9 points and nine rebounds in 67 G League games with the Texas Legends, Greensboro Swarm and Vipers in the past three seasons.
Rebounding woes back at bad time
As much trouble as the Rockets have had all season on the defensive boards, for 47½ minutes on Thursday, they rarely allowed the Heat to get a second shot. The Heat had missed 43 shots. They got the rebound on six of them.
In the final half minute, with the Rockets down three and needing a possession to try to tie the game and complete a comeback from a 15-point deficit, they twice gave up defensive boards with Andre Iguodala coming from behind Rockets guard Sterling Brown to back-tap the rebound. That forced the Rockets to foul Jimmy Butler to stop the clock with Butler icing the win.
“We got to crash,” Brown said. “We got to take on that challenge, box out, finish the play. Me in particular, the last two possessions, they got rebounds and tip-outs because I didn’t box out good enough. I could have been a lot more aggressive on the glass and finish out those two, or made one rebound we needed to get to give ourselves a chance to win or tie it up. I didn’t get it done. It’s something we have to take pride in and lock in and go out and finish the play.”
The Rockets rank 27th in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage, allowing 12.9 secondchance points, 17th most in the league. This especially could be a problem with the Rockets using more small lineups since the injury to center Christian Wood.
Butler had twice put in mid-range jumpers before Rockets coach Stephen Silas switched to a small lineup to allow the Rockets to switch on him after screens.
“We got to get the ball,” Silas said. “In film (Friday) I showed the last clip where there was 50 seconds on the clock, we were down three and we needed a stop. We did a good job on Butler. Butler drove to his right. Shot fake. Jae’Sean Tate went for the shot fake. John Wall went to help, contested the shot. Shot goes up, and we didn’t get the rebound. Then then get the second shot, and we didn’t get that rebound either.
“When we’re small, it’s very important that we’re physical, to box out, to have everybody participate in the rebounding game because that was two huge ones we needed. When we’re small it’s throughout the game we have to really concentrate on being physical and going to get the ball with all five guys.”