The Houston Rockets will be without veteran center Steven Adams on Tuesday night when they host the San Antonio Spurs, as the big man continues to deal with a left ankle sprain suffered during Sunday’s win over the Pelicans.
This isn’t the first time Adams has been sidelined with an ankle issue this season-he missed about a week earlier in the month with a sprain to his right ankle-but this one looks more serious. Adams needed help from teammates just to get back to the locker room after landing awkwardly while contesting a shot in the second half.
“It’s a sprained ankle,” head coach Ime Udoka said postgame. “A lot of swelling already, but nothing’s broken.
Not a high ankle sprain. So, not sure about anything as far as time, but quite a bit of swelling and pain.
Obviously, he couldn’t put much weight on it.”
That’s a tough blow for Houston, especially given Adams’ role as the team’s physical anchor in the paint. He’s averaging 5.8 points on 50.4% shooting and pulling down 8.6 rebounds per game-4.5 of those coming on the offensive glass-in just under 23 minutes a night. He’s not the focal point of the offense, but his presence on the boards and ability to set hard screens has been a key part of the Rockets’ interior identity.
With Adams out, Houston will likely look to Clint Capela to step up in the rotation. Capela, typically the third-string center, could see a significant uptick in minutes. Jabari Smith Jr. might also slide over to the five in smaller lineups, especially if the Rockets want to push the pace or stretch the floor.
The timing of the injury isn’t ideal, either. Tuesday’s game isn’t just another date on the calendar-it’s an in-state showdown with the Spurs, who currently sit second in the Western Conference standings at 29-13.
The Rockets, meanwhile, come in at 25-15 and boast a dominant 14-3 record at Toyota Center. This one has playoff seeding implications written all over it.
Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Central, with regional coverage on Space City Home Network and national broadcast via NBC and Peacock.
There’s also a chance Houston could get a bit of help on the injury front, as forward Tari Eason is listed as questionable. He’s missed over a week with his own ankle sprain, and his return would provide some much-needed versatility and energy off the bench.
For now, all eyes will be on how the Rockets adjust without Adams in the middle. His absence will test their depth and adaptability, especially against a Spurs team that knows how to exploit mismatches.