<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-make-all-sorts-of-history-in-dominant-first-half-vs-hornets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets make all sorts of history in dominant first half vs. Hornets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ime-Udoka-demands-Alperen-Sengun-get-European-out-of-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets make all sorts of history in dominant first half vs. Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T18:34:28-08:00">December 23rd, 6:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T18:37:01-08:00">December 23rd, 6:37pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-ime-udoka-expertly-breaks-down-key-reason-behind-warriors-stunner">Houston Rockets are one of the best defensive teams in the 2024-25 NBA regular season</a>, and they just showed why in the first half of their Monday night showdown against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.</p><p>Houston held the Hornets to just 15 points in the first quarter and 16 in the second period. The 31 points the Rockets allowed before halftime to Charlotte were the fewest Houston surrendered in the first half — <a href="https://x.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/1871361143538958616" rel="noopener">among other defensive feats</a> the team made in the first half, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.</p><p>“Rockets 62, Hornets 31 at half. Fewest points Rockets have allowed in a first quarter, second quarter or first half. VanVleet with 18. Hornets leave the floor to many boos, or bah humbugs,” Feigen posted on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-trade-grades-espn-rockets-heat">Those who have been following the Rockets this season</a> might not be all that surprised over the defensive prowess Houston showed against the Hornets, particularly in the first half. Houston entered the Hornets game first in the NBA with an average of just 25.1 points allowed in first quarters this season.</p><h2><b>The Rockets had the Hornets bleeding for points in the first half</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Alperen-Sengun.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rockets also woke up Monday ranked sixth with only 27.0 points surrendered in second quarters. Overall, Houston started the day third in the league with 106.5 points allowed per game and second with a 50.3 defensive effective field goal percentage.</p><p>Houston’s defense appeared to regress in the second half where the Hornets outscored the Rockets, 70-52, but that scoring burst from Charlotte was not enough to prevent a 114-101 loss to Jabari Smith Jr. and company. Smith led the way for the Rockets with 21 points on a 7-for-14 shooting from the floor, 11 rebounds and two assists. Fred VanVleet chipped in 20 points and six assists while Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun posted 19 and 16 points, respectively.</p><p>The Rockets dominated the glass, thus taking away plenty of scoring opportunities for Charlotte. Houston came away with 59 rebounds to just 44 by the Hornets, who also let the Rockets grab 20 offensive boards.</p><p>Houston improved its season record to 20-9 following the win over the Hornets. Now on a three-game win streak, the Rockets will look to punctuate their road trip with another victory this coming Thursday against the New Orleans Saints at Smoothie King Center on New Orleans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets make all sorts of history in dominant first half vs. Hornets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-raptors-called-guangdong-dragons-rockets-announcer');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors called ‘Guangdong Dragons’ on live TV by Rockets announcer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Raptors-news-Toronto-called-Guangdong-Dragons-on-live-TV-by-Rockets-announcer.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors called ‘Guangdong Dragons’ on live TV by Rockets announcer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T22:54:38-08:00">December 22nd, 10:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T22:55:38-08:00">December 22nd, 10:55pm</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>“The Rockets are victorious tonight against the Guangdong Dragons,” <a href="https://www.twitter.com/CoalitionHoops/status/1871009590567112990" rel="noopener">declared veteran broadcaster</a> Craig Ackerman as the final buzzer sounded. Ackerman, now the voice of Houston’s regional television broadcasts on the Space City Home Network, captured the moment as the Houston Rockets erased a 16-point deficit to secure a 114-110 comeback victory over the Toronto Raptors.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Craig Ackerman (<a href="https://twitter.com/ca_rockets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ca_rockets</a> ) with the greatest closing call I’ve ever heard as a Rockets fan this season. </p><p>If you don’t know, Ackerman was referencing Drakes comment on FVV IG post when he announced he was signing with Houston.</p><p>Life comes at you fast 😎 <a href="https://t.co/fMQykxMm1b">pic.twitter.com/fMQykxMm1b</a></p><p>— E.K. Johnson (@CoalitionHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoalitionHoops/status/1871009590567112990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>When Fred VanVleet departed the Raptors to join the Rockets during the 2023 free agency period, the seasoned point guard shared a heartfelt farewell to Toronto on Instagram. Shortly after, rapper and devoted Raptors supporter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-drake-hits-fred-vanvleet-with-guangdong-dragons-trolling-after-houston-move">Drake seized the opportunity to playfully poke fun at VanVleet</a> and his new team in the comment section.</p><h2><b>Drake trolling Fred VanVleet on his move to the Houston Rockets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Drake-talking-with-Fred-VanVleet-during-his-stay-with-the-Raptors.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“My look alike … the love is forever,” Drake wrote in the comment section of VanVleet’s post. “Thank you for your character and your contributions over the years. The city will never forget! Good luck with everything on the Guangdong Dragons … I mean, the Rockets.”</p><p>“Relax.” the former Toronto Raptor replied.</p><p>Guangdong, naturally, is a team from China’s professional league. The jab made sense at the time, given Houston’s struggles, including a dismal 22-60 record the previous season and three consecutive years finishing among the NBA’s bottom two teams.</p><p>With the addition of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, combined with the ongoing development of their young talent, the Rockets have made remarkable strides. They ended the 2023-24 season at an even 41-41 and have carried that progress into the 2024-25 campaign, boasting a 19-9 record. This impressive start positions them third in the Western Conference, trailing the second spot by just half a game.</p><h2><b>The Raptors struggle this season</b></h2><p>Without VanVleet, the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bruce-browns-injury-admission-explains-major-2023-24-raptors-struggles"> Raptors have plummeted</a> to a 7-22 record, placing them among the league’s worst teams. In contrast, during Sunday’s victory in Toronto—VanVleet’s first game back as a visitor after missing last season’s matchup due to injury—Houston’s broadcast team couldn’t resist delivering some playful trolling of their own as the final seconds expired.</p><p>VanVleet had a quiet performance in the game, recording 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and just 2 points while shooting a cold 1-for-10 (10.0%). After the game, head coach Ime Udoka suggested that VanVleet might have experienced some “jitters” during his first game back in Toronto as a visiting player.</p><p>Ultimately, VanVleet secured what mattered most — a victory. With some help from Houston’s broadcast team, he likely also relished a lighthearted moment at Drake’s expense.</p><p>To acknowledge VanVleet’s return, the Raptors organization showed their respect with a pregame “welcome back” message outside Houston’s locker room, followed by a tribute video during the game.</p><p>Fred VanVleet had already earned significant wealth during his career before joining the Houston Rockets, but his most recent contract has raised the bar. Valued at $130 million, it stands as the highest contract ever secured by an undrafted player in NBA history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors called ‘Guangdong Dragons’ on live TV by Rockets announcer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jimmy-butler-trade-grades-espn-rockets-heat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Rockets-Heat deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-trade-grades-for-ESPNs-hypothetical-Rockets-Heat-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Rockets-Heat deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T12:48:59-08:00">December 21st, 12:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T12:51:26-08:00">December 21st, 12:51pm</time><address><a>Kris Pursiainen</a>Kris Pursiainen is an Associate Editor for all sports based in the NJ/NYC area. Kris brings several years of experience reporting on and writing about professional teams to the table. With experience all over the country as a New York Knicks, New York Jets, New York Mets, Super Bowl LVIII, and Big East beat reporter, Kris has been breaking news and reporting on the NBA, NFL, MLB, and college basketball landscapes for years. Kris is a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The latest NBA star whose name is making headlines related to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">trade talks seems to be the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler</a>. At some point in every season in recent memory, a star player shakes loose and becomes available via trade. And despite leading the Heat to NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023, the latest rumors surrounding star-hungry teams such as the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs involve Butler.</p><p>Fans and analysts are flocking to trade machines to propose deals that find Butler a new home. It’s impossible to project what kind of return the Heat will want for Butler without knowing what they plan to do next. If the plan is to reshuffle the roster but remain competitive, the team would likely have to venture into the murky waters that represent <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-linked-nuggets-trade-pursuits">Brandon Ingram’s trade market</a>.</p><p>But if Miami’s braintrust is of the opinion that this iteration of their team got their two best shots at a championship and just weren’t able to make either, the goal could be to tear it down. And then trading Butler for draft capital would become a priority. If young talent can be part of the salary that makes the deal work, so be it.</p><p><a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/43041391/how-jimmy-butler-preferred-trade-destinations-land-him#trades" rel="noopener">One hypothetical deal</a> between the Heat and the Rockets, from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, fits the latter of those two paths forward. Pelton’s deal has Miami sending Butler to Houston in exchange for Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams, and two first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. The Heat would receive whichever pick is worse between the Rockets and Nets’ picks in 2027 as well as the second-best pick out of the Mavericks, Rockets, and Suns’ picks.</p><h2><b>Is trading Jimmy Butler too early better for the Heat than being too late?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-Heat-Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>National analysts lambasted the New York Knicks for months after the Kristaps Porzingis deal. They were better off with the draft capital than paying him a max contract. The Los Angeles Lakers moved Brandon Ingram before he was due for his max deal and won a championship. Trading someone whose contract looks like it may impede your plans before it catalyzes them is not a free ticket to the NBA Playoffs. But pundits and fans alike malign the strategy, even if it is looked back on years later as having been intelligent.</p><p>The Heat should not care. If they’re going to reset their books and therefore their roster, they should be interested in setting up whoever is going to be in charge of the Miami Heat for success. It might be the same regime! It might not. If Pat Riley and the Heat are going to take a long-term approach, they should lean into it instead of pretending they’d like to remain competitive while slowly trading the teams’ best players away one-by-one.</p><p>Green (38) and Adams (still only 31, somehow) are on expiring contracts and would come off the books by June 2025 at the latest. Brooks is signed through the 2026-27 season on a team-friendly contract that descends in annual value until its expiration. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ranking-dillon-brooks-top-10-villain-moments">Brooks’ toughness has manifested itself</a> in several ways throughout the years and he would fit “Heat Culture” well.</p><p>KP’s Trade Grade for the Miami Heat: <b>B+ </b></p><p>Houston could do better if their plan is to sacrifice future draft capital to upgrade their talent and acquire a star. Butler turned 35 years old in September and has a player option for next season that surpasses $52 million in salary. But two first-round draft selections is not an unreasonable economic barrier to entry for the Rockets. And Houston could combine Butler’s salary with young talent and additional draft capital for a star that fits their timeline better.</p><p>This return for Jimmy Butler will not excite people in the Miami Heat organization, locker room, or fanbase. But it might be the best move for the team going forward. That means Riley, and the rest of Miami’s braintrust, should consider it.</p><p>KP’s Trade Grade for the Houston Rockets: <b>C</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jimmy Butler trade grades for ESPN’s hypothetical Rockets-Heat deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-injury-report-vs-pelicans-nba-cup-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Alperen Sengun lands on injury report vs. Pelicans after NBA Cup loss');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Alperen-Sengun-lands-on-injury-report-vs.-Pelicans-after-NBA-Cup-loss.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Alperen Sengun lands on injury report vs. Pelicans after NBA Cup loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T09:36:38-08:00">December 19th, 9:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T09:36:38-08:00">December 19th, 9:36am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-makes-nba-history-in-houstons-pacers-drubbing">Alperen Sengun has been playing at an All-Star level</a> this season, and he recently took the Houston Rockets to the semifinals of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. Although the Rockets fell 111-96 in one of their worst performances of the season, this young team proved that they are once again a force in the Western Conference. As long as Sengun is on the floor, this group has the potential to beat any team they run into.</p><p>While Houston has been resting since their loss on Sunday to Oklahoma City, Sengun finds himself on the injury report ahead of NBA action resuming on Thursday. With the New Orleans Pelicans coming to town, the last thing the Rockets want is to start off their post-NBA Cup journey with a loss to the worst team record-wise in the West.</p><p>Due to his appearance on the injury report, many are now asking, “Is Alperen Sengun playing against the Pelicans on Thursday night?”</p><h2><b>Alperen Sengun injury status vs. Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Alperen-Sengun-28-against-the-Portland-Trailblazers.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After suffering a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-massive-knee-ankle-injury-update">gruesome-looking leg injury that ended his 2023-24 campaign</a>, Sengun has started and played in all 26 games for the Rockets to this point in the season. Coming off their run to the semifinals of the NBA Cup, Houston finds themselves with a 17-9 record, just 3.5 games behind the Thunder for the top spot in the West standings.</p><p>Sengun has been the driving force behind the Rockets’ success this season, yet he <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-19_11AM.pdf" rel="noopener">finds himself on the injury report</a> ahead of Thursday’s game with what is being labeled as left knee soreness. As a result, Sengun is questionable to play against the Pelicans.</p><p>It is also worth noting that Steven Adams and Tari Eason are also questionable to play against the Pelicans due to their appearances on the Rockets’ injury report, leaving their status up in the air for this game as well. Houston could be extremely thin in the frontcourt if all three players are unable to go.</p><p>This season, Sengun is averaging 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the floor. Despite his scoring and shooting numbers decreasing from a season ago, Sengun looks a lot more confident in his abilities to be a lead playmaker and facilitator for the Rockets’ offense. That is why he should be a heavy favorite to be a first-time All-Star in San Francisco this season.</p><p>In the event that Sengun is unable to play on Thursday, the Rockets will likely play through their backcourt with Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green leading the way. Green is the team’s leading scorer this season, averaging 19.0 points per game but shooting just 39.5 percent from the floor.</p><p>So, when it comes to the question of whether Alperen Sengun is playing on Thursday against the Pelicans, his status will be updated later in the day by the Rockets.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Alperen Sengun lands on injury report vs. Pelicans after NBA Cup loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-player-who-must-be-traded-soon');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets player who must be traded soon');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rockets-player-who-must-be-traded-soon.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets player who must be traded soon</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T19:33:24-08:00">December 18th, 7:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T20:12:49-08:00">December 18th, 8:12pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have been one of the top teams in the Western Conference this season. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-defends-dillon-brooks-from-critics-before-nba-cup">Rockets recently advanced to the elimination round of the NBA Cup</a>, before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite the loss, there is plenty for the Rockets to build upon going forward, but as the NBA trade deadline draws closer, the Rockets could look to offload a player or two in a trade.</p><p>The Rockets have put together a solid young core, but what they have lacked was veteran leadership to help steer the ship. They addressed those concerns last offseason with the additions of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green, but as the Rockets have identified the key players in their rotation, others have been squeezed out.</p><p>Some of those players who have been unable to crack the main rotation could be prime candidates to be moved in a trade this season. Right now, it seems like the Rockets have found a good mix between their young players and their veteran guys.</p><p>Two players who have been unable to find consistent playing time this season are Jae’Sean Tate and Cam Whitmore. Both are in completely different stages of their NBA careers. Tate is an older player who has shown what he is in the NBA, while Whitmore is a little bit more unknown considering his age and small sample size. But before the NBA trade deadline arrives, the Rockets should consider moving either player.</p><h2><b>Jae’Sean Tate’s dwindling role for Rockets<br></b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/JaeSean-Tate-goes-to-the-basket.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Tate’s journey to the NBA can be seen as an inspiring one. He went undrafted in 2018, and began his professional basketball career in Germany. Following a year in Germany, he played a year in the Australian NBL. He got his first chance in the NBA with the Rockets ahead of the 2020-21 season.</p><p>That year, Tate played well enough to make the All-Rookie First Team, and the Rockets looked like they had a gem on their hands. That was also the season the Rockets moved Russell Westbrook in a trade with the Washington Wizards and James Harden in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, signaling a roster reset.</p><p>Tate appeared to be a part of the team’s core moving into a rebuild. He followed up his stellar rookie season with a strong second year, becoming a full-time starter. But in recent seasons, Tate’s role and minutes have decreased, and this year, he found himself out of the rotation altogether.</p><p>And yet, he can still be a valuable player on a contending team.</p><p>During the Rockets’ win against the Los Angeles Clippers back on Dec. 8, Tate <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/rockets/news/houston-rockets-jae-sean-tate-shows-off-premier-professionalism" rel="noopener">was called into duty</a> due to injuries. He played a season-high 18 minutes and finished with six points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal. But with the Rockets fully healthy, he just doesn’t have a spot in the rotation anymore.</p><p>Tate is only 29 years old and is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason. The team exercised their option on him this past offseason, and his salary is very team-friendly. But if the Rockets aren’t going to use him, they should trade him to a team that could benefit from a solid wing defender who can contribute all-around.</p><h2><b>Cam Whitmore’s future with the Rockets<br></b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cam-Whitmore-during-pregame-warmups.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-cam-whitmore-reacts-to-disrespect-of-being-picked-no-20-overall">Rockets landed Whitmore with the No. 20 overall pick</a> in the 2023 NBA Draft, the general consensus was that they had grabbed a lottery talent in the middle of the first round. He sure gave credence to those opinions being named the 2023 NBA Summer League MVP.</p><p>He ended up putting together a strong rookie season to the tune of 12.3 points while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from the three-point line while suiting up in 47 games. The Rockets even went so far as to shut him down during the 2024 summer league after continuing his dominance.</p><p>But this season, he’s been unable to crack the rotation and is playing fewer minutes than he did as a rookie. He was recently assigned to the Rockets’ G League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Rookie Reed Shepard has already seemed to pass Whitmore on the depth chart.</p><p>There’s no question that Whitmore is a talented player. During his recent stint in the G League, he averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebound and 2.6 assists while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from the three-point line. The Rockets just need to determine if he’s a player they see a future for on the roster. If not, the Rockets should move him in a trade.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets player who must be traded soon

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-vs-rockets-prediction-odds-pick-12-19-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans vs. Rockets prediction, odds, pick – 12/19/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pelicans-vs-Rockets-prediction-odds-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans vs. Rockets prediction, odds, pick – 12/19/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T13:45:10-08:00">December 18th, 1:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T13:45:10-08:00">December 18th, 1:45pm</time><address><a>Nate Duffett</a>Nate Duffett is a writer for ClutchPoints and a sports junkie at heart, especially for the Boston sports scene. In his spare time, he coaches hockey and is also a Hockey Scout at FCHockey and NeutralZone. Whether it's covering the NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL, or College Football and Basketball, there is not a sport Nate isn't able to discuss.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have started turning things around after a couple of lean years, while the New Orleans Pelicans are regressing to that position. The Rockets were at the bottom of the standings over the past few seasons, but that is where the Pelicans now find themselves. The Rockets are third in the Western Conference but have won just six of their past ten games. Unsurprisingly, the Pelicans have succeeded against the Rockets over the past few seasons, winning seven of the last ten meetings. However, they split the season series in 2023-24 when the Rockets won the first two meetings, and then the Pelicans returned the favor with two victories to end the year. It’s time to continue our NBA odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Pelicans-Rockets prediction and pick.</p><p><b><i>Here are the Pelicans-Rockets <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba" rel="noopener">NBA odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>NBA Odds: Pelicans-Rockets Odds</b></h2><p>New Orleans Pelicans: +10 (-110)</p><p>Moneyline: +390</p><p>Houston Rockets: -10 (-110)</p><p>Moneyline: -525</p><p>Over: 217.5 (-110)</p><p>Under: 217.5 (-110)</p><h2><b>How To Watch Pelicans vs. Rockets</b></h2><p>Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT</p><p>TV: Space City Home Network, Gulf Coast Sports &amp; Entertainment Network</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(Get Access | Save $30)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Why the Pelicans Could Cover the Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Pelicans have lost nine of their past ten games, which includes losses to some of the league’s worst teams. It has put New Orleans as the new worst team in the league, and it’s hard to argue that the standings are telling a lie. The injuries are the biggest concern for the Pelicans, as Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson highlight the injury report. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-linked-nuggets-trade-pursuits">Ingram and Williamson may never play another game with the Pelicans</a>, as they are both on the trade block.</p><h2><b>Why the Rockets Could Cover the Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Rockets had an opportunity to advance to the NBA Cup final but lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals. It was their third loss in their last five games, which includes dropping results to the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. However, the team has had some impressive wins over the past ten games, including winning as an underdog against the Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s a bit surprising that the Rockets have experienced this turnaround quickly, but the question is whether they can sustain it for the entire year.</p><p>The Rockets could have some help adding to their third-place seeding in the Western Conference. Houston is short a wing in their lineup, and they could be the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jimmy-butler-favored-land-houston-if-heat-trade-him">favorites to land Jimmy Butler at the upcoming trade deadline</a>. The Rockets haven’t been short of any success, which includes making it to the NBA Cup semifinal against the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>It’s a battle between the worst offensive team in the league and one of the best defensive teams. The Pelicans rank 30th with 105.1 points per game, while the Rockets rank third with 106.1 points allowed per game. The Rockets defense ranks better than the Pelicans offense in nearly every category.</p><h2><b>Final Pelicans-Rockets Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>The Pelicans don’t have many players left who can score for them. However, they have covered three of their past five games and have lost by more than ten points just twice over their last five games. The Rocket’s offense isn’t spectacular, as they scored less than 100 points in three of their past four games. Covering a ten-point spread will be hard if you can’t score at least 100 points.</p><p><b>Final Pelicans-Rockets Prediction &amp; Pick: Pelicans +10 (-110)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans vs. Rockets prediction, odds, pick – 12/19/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jimmy-butler-favored-land-houston-if-heat-trade-him');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jimmy Butler favored to land with Rockets if Heat trade him');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-favored-to-land-with-Houston-if-Heat-trade-him.jpg"></figure><h1>Jimmy Butler favored to land with Rockets if Heat trade him</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T14:39:40-08:00">December 17th, 2:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T14:39:40-08:00">December 17th, 2:39pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-bill-simmons-jimmy-butler-trade-options-reality-check">Houston Rockets have made headlines recently for their cycling through the trade rumor mill</a> as well as their recent appearance in Las Vegas <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-fans-notice-disrespectful-rockets-thunder-description-on-league-pass-before-nba-cup-game">for the NBA Cup</a>, in which they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets have been arguably the league’s biggest surprise this year, currently tied for third place in the vaunted Western Conference over a quarter of the way through the schedule.</p><p>One of the biggest names that the Rockets have been tied to in recent weeks has been Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, and recently, some validity was added to those rumors when the Rockets <a href="https://x.com/CPBetting/status/1869103917629579687/photo/1" rel="noopener">became the favorites</a> to be Butler’s next team if he is indeed traded, per the BetOnline sportsbook.</p><p>The Rockets currently have +150 odds to land the star, followed by the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks.</p><h2><b>Should the Rockets make a big trade?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Butler-vs-Detroit.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There are varying schools of thought when it comes to up and coming young teams and when they cash in some of their assets in a “win now” move.</p><p>The Rockets have been very impressive this season and boast one of the league’s best defenses, but their offense clearly needs a bit more firepower in order to truly compete in the Western Conference.</p><p>Some would argue that Houston should take some time to let younger players like Jabari Smith, Cam Whitmore, and Reed Sheppard continue to develop and maybe they’ll turn out to provide enough offense for the Rockets down the road.</p><p>Others would argue that there are no guarantees in the NBA, and the wise thing to do would be to trade some of these assets for a player like Butler who could theoretically help the Rockets compete right now.</p><p>Of course, there’s no right answer to the dilemma, and there have been no reports of a Butler trade request or demand out of Miami. However, the Heat have underwhelmed this season, and Butler’s contract is up this summer, leading to rampant speculation that the Heat could begin fielding calls for their superstar.</p><p>Interestingly enough, Butler grew up in the Houston area, and he would certainly provide some stability and veteran leadership to one of the youngest teams in the NBA if the Rockets were to make the big swing.</p><p>In any case, the Rockets will next take the floor on Thursday evening at home against the New Orleans Pelicans at 8:00 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jimmy Butler favored to land with Rockets if Heat trade him

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ranking-russell-westbrooks-10-best-teammates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ranking Russell Westbrook’s 10 best teammates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ranking-Russell-Westbrooks-10-best-teammates.jpg"></figure><h1>Ranking Russell Westbrook’s 10 best teammates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T09:25:50-08:00">December 17th, 9:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T09:25:50-08:00">December 17th, 9:25am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/spencersee10" rel="facebook">Spencer See</a>Spencer See is a part-time writer at ClutchPoints focusing on the NBA, evergreen content and celebrity lifestyle. He is also a lifelong fan of LeBron James. In his free time, he either goes fishing or watches basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Russell Westbrook is a future Basketball Hall of Famer, highlighted by an NBA MVP award in 2017 coupled with a handful of seasons that saw him average a triple-double.</p><p>While Westbrook has been an absolute beast on the court, an NBA championship remains elusive in his career, prompting the NBA MVP to jump from one team to another. This has resulted in Westbrook teaming up with several NBA stars. Here is Russell Westbrook’s 10 best teammates, ranked.</p><p>Check out the gallery below.</p><h2><b>1. Kevin Durant</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Kevin-Durant-and-Russell-Westbrook.jpg"><figcaption>Mark D. Smith-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Russell Westbrook’s career hasn’t been the same since Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although this paved the way for Westbrook to become a triple-double machine leading to a historic MVP season, it has been a different story in terms of team success. Without Durant, Westbrook has yet to make another NBA Finals appearance.</p><h2><b>2. Steven Adams</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Steven-Adams-talks-to-Russell-Westbrook.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As a gentle giant from New Zealand, Steven Adams isn’t one of the All-Stars in this list. However, he perfectly blended well with Westbrook’s play.</p><p>In fact, with Adams as the starting center, Westbrook had a reliable big man to go to while he was running the show in Oklahoma. While Adams isn’t the most dominant center, he perfectly knew how to play off of Westbrook’s all-around style of play.</p><h2><b>3. Serge Ibaka</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Serge-Ibaka-and-Russell-Westbrook-celebrate.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There’s no doubt that it was Serge Ibaka who anchored the Oklahoma City Thunder when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were running the show. Ibaka was a defensive-minded big man, who also complemented Westbrook’s play quite well.</p><p>His defensive tenacity made life easier for Westbrook on the defensive end while also being an inside threat offensively. He was a crucial piece to the Thunder’s 2012 NBA Finals appearance.</p><h2><b>4. Bradley Beal</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Bradley-Beal-hugs-Russell-Westbrook.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Mills-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Landing in Washington, Westbrook had to play alongside Wizards star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-10-greatest-players-in-franchise-history-ranked">Bradley Beal, one of the Wizards’ best players in their history</a>. The duo in Washington ultimately transformed the Wizards into a competitive playoff squad.</p><p>While they didn’t exactly go deep, just helping the Wizards make the playoffs was already a huge achievement. Moreover, Westbrook still managed to get his triple-double average while Beal was dominating his scoring output.</p><h2><b>5. James Harden</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Russell-Westbrook-and-James-Harden-celebrate.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The duo between Westbrook and James Harden has drawn some mixed results. While they did go to the 2012 NBA Finals together, since then they’ve reunited twice. One time came in Houston, where they ended up getting the boot in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs.</p><p>The second time around, they teamed up with the Los Angeles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-sixers-trade">Clippers after they traded for Harden</a>, which never went deep enough to get a sniff of a Finals appearance.</p><h2><b>6. Kawhi Leonard</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Russell-Westbrook-and-Kawhi-Leonard-in-a-game.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Kawhi Leonard is one of the elite forwards in the NBA, having led two franchises to an NBA title. However, he has yet to do so with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-russell-westbrook-8-million-deal-with-la-draws-befuddled-fan-reactions">Clippers, even when Westbrook came on board</a>. The team-up failed to produce results. While the duo has displayed some glimpses of their greatness, the lack of playoff success ultimately ended their partnership.</p><h2><b>7. Paul George</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Russell-Westbrook-and-Paul-George-interaction.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>From teaming up in Oklahoma to playing together in LA, the story was the same for both Westbrook and Paul George. While the duo has consistently expressed their positive feelings about teaming up, the lack of playoff success proves that this duo wasn’t formidable enough.</p><p>On paper, this duo has plenty of star power. However, they’ve never materialized their potential in their two stints together.</p><h2><b>8. Nikola Jokic</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Russell-Westbrook-fouls-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-russell-westbrook-6-8-million-contract">signing with the Denver Nuggets during the offseason, Westbrook</a> teamed up with another NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic. The reigning three-time NBA MVP should be a promising teammate for Westbrook, who should be gunning for an NBA title to his resume.</p><p>While the Nuggets are off to a bit of a slow start at just 14-10, Jokic is <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jokicni01.html" rel="noopener">averaging over 30 points per game</a>, which would be a career high for a full season.</p><h2><b>9. Anthony Davis</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Russell-Westbrook-and-Anthony-Davis-in-action.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Another major star that Westbrook had a chance to play with was Anthony Davis. While Westbrook had a forgettable stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, he did show some glimpses on the floor with Davis. Unfortunately, their star powers weren’t enough to even make a playoff push possible. Their partnership could be described as disastrous at best.</p><h2><b>10. LeBron James</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LeBron-James-gives-a-high-five-to-Russell-Westbrook.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A lot of NBA fans will agree that Westbrook’s stint with the Lakers was the worst point of his decorated NBA career. While teaming up with LeBron James may have looked good on paper, the fit was a huge question mark.</p><p>James and Westbrook had relatively the same all-around play styles that need the ball to be effective. As a result, Westbrook had one of his worst performances in a Lakers uniform. In fact, the Lakers didn’t even make the playoffs with Westbrook.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ranking Russell Westbrook’s 10 best teammates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-ime-udoka-reveals-message-james-harden-turning-down-reunion');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals message to James Harden while turning down reunion');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rockets-news-Ime-Udoka-reveals-message-to-James-Harden-while-turning-down-reunion.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals message to James Harden while turning down reunion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T20:07:04-08:00">December 15th, 8:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T20:07:04-08:00">December 15th, 8:07pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka’s reason for turning down a reunion with star point guard James Harden has just been revealed. Two seasons after three straight years as one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Rockets are back near the top of the Western Conference. Houston is currently the No. 3 seed with an electrifying young core. This culture reset started with the 2023 offseason that included the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-free-agency-3-year-130-million-contract">additions of point guard Fred VanVleet</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-dillon-brooks-free-agency-4-year-80-million-contract">small forward Dillon Brooks</a>.</p><p>Both VanVleet and Brooks have been essential to Houston’s emphasis on the defensive side of the floor. The two have also greatly influenced young talents like Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. The Rockets, however, almost signed James Harden during the offseason of 2023. Udoka, the incoming coach at the time, turned that idea down. Sam Amick, a Senior NBA Writer for The Athletic, explained Udoka’s message to Harden which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5990739/2024/12/13/ime-udoka-rockets-nba-defense/" rel="noopener">shut down that potential reunion</a>.</p><p>“There was great respect for Harden and his game, but it wasn’t the right fit. If the plan was to build a defensive juggernaut with a balanced offense — and it was — then adding a ball-dominant, all-time great who never has been known for defense wasn’t the way to go. ‘My main thing for us was what fits best with our young guys to continue to grow?’ Udoka said. ‘But also, out of respect for James, (I told him), You’re at the stage where you want to win, and we’re not there yet. And it wasn’t just James.'”</p><h2><b>Houston’s physicality has been a problem for the rest of the league</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rockets-Tari-Eason-and-Amen-Thompson.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Houston has shifted into one of the most physically imposing teams in the league since Udoka has taken over. The team has lived by the motto that Udoka <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5990739/2024/12/13/ime-udoka-rockets-nba-defense/" rel="noopener">explains as</a> “no friends on the floor.” The Rockets are second in defensive rating this year and first in rebounding rate. Houston additionally ranks in the top five in points allowed in the paint. The shift in mentality and culture has ultimately been clear since Udoka walked into the building.</p><p>The Rockets currently have the 13th-oldest roster in the NBA. Despite this stat, most of this team’s best players are very inexperienced. Six of Houston’s eight leading scorers are 23 or younger. This includes Alpheren Sengun, who should make his first All-Star team this season. The Turkish star is averaging a double-double for the first time in his career, proving to be one of the best young stars in the NBA.</p><p>Going forward, Houston will be primed to compete in the West with the team it lost to in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-fans-notice-disrespectful-rockets-thunder-description-on-league-pass-before-nba-cup-game">In-Season Tournament. The Oklahoma City Thunder</a> is the other young juggernaut in the conference that the Rockets must overcome. The Rockets have built the necessary defensive identity to make a deep run in the playoffs. However, Houston’s young stars must also evolve on the offensive end to take the next step and become a top contender.</p><p>Overall, James Harden wasn’t the right fit for Houston at that time. The star point guard has been a stellar addition to the Los Angeles Clippers over the past two years. But Ime Udoka had a vision, and so far, he has executed it to near perfection.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals message to James Harden while turning down reunion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/thunder-news-cason-wallace-isaiah-hartenstein-keep-it-real-alperen-sengun-scuffle');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Cason Wallace, Isaiah Hartenstein keep it real on Alperen Sengun scuffle');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cason-Wallace-Isaiah-Hartenstein-keep-it-real-on-Alperen-Sengun-scuffle.jpg"></figure><h1>Thunder’s Cason Wallace, Isaiah Hartenstein keep it real on Alperen Sengun scuffle</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T08:44:50-08:00">December 15th, 8:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T08:51:43-08:00">December 15th, 8:51am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt started as an editor at ClutchPoints in 2018 and became the head of the editorial team in 2022. He also co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Oklahoma City Thunder earned a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-okc-messes-shai-gilgeous-alexander-nba-cup-postgame-interview">hard-fought 111-96 win</a> over the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup on Saturday night, punching a ticket to the NBA Cup Final against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday in Las Vegas. It was a physical game between the two best defensive teams in the NBA, so it was no surprise to see tensions boil over late in the game.</p><p>With the outcome already decided in the final minute, Rockets star Alperen Sengun delivered a hard blow to Thunder guard Cason Wallace as the much smaller player tried to box out the big man. Wallace took exception to the hit and pushed back, leading to an exchange of words and shoves. The players had to be separated before things got out of hand:</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>After the game, Wallace addressed the incident and made it clear he and the Thunder won’t “get punked” by anybody.</p><p>“Whatever happens out there happens, but we’re not gonna get punked or shy down to anybody,” Wallace insisted.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Whatever happens out there happens, but we're not gonna get punked or shy down to anybody."</p><p>Cason Wallace on his altercation with Alperen Sengun.</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a>) <a href="https://t.co/ysjIJRHXI5">pic.twitter.com/ysjIJRHXI5</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1868299168705589519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein loved how Wallace handled the situation and already offered to pay any fine that may come down.</p><p>“I loved it, I loved it,” Hartenstein said “My son getting into it. I already got his fine so that’s all good. I loved it. That’s been Caso all year. He’s probably not been talked about enough, the things he’s doing on both ends.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I loved it, I loved it. My son getting into it. I already got his fine so that’s all good. I loved it. That’s been Caso all year. He probably not been talked about enough, the things he’s doing on both ends.”</p><p>Isaiah Hartenstein on Cason Wallace’s altercation with Alperen… <a href="https://t.co/34bXKyWcsE">pic.twitter.com/34bXKyWcsE</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1868173424901894424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Both Wallace and Hartenstein played key roles in OKC’s win. While Wallace didn’t put up big numbers, his defense was huge in limiting the Rockets to 36.5% shooting. Hartenstein enjoyed a more prolific box score, going for 21 points, eight rebounds and two assists.</p><h2><b>Thunder are a tough group</b></h2><p>The Thunder were already an elite team last season, but they’ve only gotten better with the additions of Hartenstein and Alex Caruso in 2024-25. OKC is 20-5 on the year, giving them a 2.5-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies at the top of the Western Conference.</p><p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate who put up a game-high 32 points on Saturday, but it’s the defense that makes this team such a powerhouse. The Thunder boast the best defense in the NBA, holding opponents to a minuscule <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING" rel="noopener">103.1 points per 100 possession</a>s, per NBA.com. There’s a sizable gap between them and the No. 2 Rockets, who are allowing 105.3 points per 100 possessions. In fact, these defenses are historically good:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">If you're wondering why nobody is scoring in this game: These are two of the top seven defenses since the merger (1976-77), adjusted for league environment. <a href="https://t.co/BAm373geZZ">https://t.co/BAm373geZZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/5HNPQHJ7ff">pic.twitter.com/5HNPQHJ7ff</a></p><p>— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) <a href="https://twitter.com/JADubin5/status/1868123493755474234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>OKC is doing this despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-out-indefinitely-pelvic-fracture">Chet Holmgren’s extended absence</a>, so there’s another level for them to hit. It will be fascinating to see this hard-nosed group go up against Giannis Antetokounmpo in the NBA Cup Final. We know The Greek Freak plays a physical brand of basketball, but the Thunder won’t back down and will push right back. Get your popcorn ready.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Cason Wallace, Isaiah Hartenstein keep it real on Alperen Sengun scuffle

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-news-fans-notice-disrespectful-rockets-thunder-description-on-league-pass-before-nba-cup-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Fans notice disrespectful Rockets-Thunder description on League Pass before NBA Cup game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-news-Fans-notice-disrespectful-Rockets-Thunder-description-on-League-Pass-before-NBA-Cup-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Fans notice disrespectful Rockets-Thunder description on League Pass before NBA Cup game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T17:44:38-08:00">December 14th, 5:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T19:36:13-08:00">December 14th, 7:36pm</time><address><a>Randall Barnes</a>Randall Barnes is a Fall 2019 Graduate of Fort Valley State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Fort Valley, Georgia, where he majored in Media Studies. He is the Founder of HBCU Pulse, a multimedia outlet with the mission to tell the authentic stories of HBCU Life via traditional, digital and social media outlets to amplify our voice. He is also the host of HBCU Pulse Radio, which can be heard on SiriusXM Channel 142 HBCU Fridays at 5 p.m. EST and wherever you get your podcasts.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><i>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the Associated Press, not NBA.com, wrote the original description calling the matchup, “not ideal.”</i></p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-mark-daigneault-honest-take-nba-cup-relocating-las-vegas">Thunder and Rockets are gearing up for a high-stakes battle in the Emirates NBA Cup</a> live from Las Vegas, but it appears that a story which appeared on NBA.com <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/hou-vs-okc-0022401230" rel="noopener">via the Associated Press</a> poured cold water on the matchup. NBA fans on X were livid seeing a description of the semi-final matchup on NBA.com, which pulled the story from the Associated Press.</p><p>The article, written by Will Despart, did go on to give a detailed breakdown of both the Thunder and the Rockets leading into the matchup. It also had quotes from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ime Udoka emphasizing the importance of the game.</p><p>But NBA fans, already deeply engaged in debates over the slight dip in television viewership and the league’s overall direction, seized the chance to critique how the narrative around the game was being framed via their X accounts.</p><p>“not marketing the best young team is a clear answer to why the ratings are down. wtf is this,” posted @thunderhoops.</p><p>“Adam Silver doesn’t care about you guys sadly. He’s starting to get on my nerves as a Lakers fan,” posted @greenpackguy.</p><p>“Why are ratings down? Probably because you disrespect half the teams in the league by downplaying them instead of hyping them up,” posted @withjustasnap.</p><p>“When the NBA doesn’t want to promote the top 3 teams in a conference, then ratings go down. Pretty simple,” posted @Brandola3.</p><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2-reasons-rockets-pull-off-nba-cup-upset-thunder"> Rockets and the Thunder are already at the top of the West,</a> with the Thunder sitting as the best team in the conference and the Rockets not too far behind as the third-best team in the conference. NBA fans are buzzing with excitement about the talented players set to take the court. Many are hoping the league will provide the right opportunities for these stars to thrive.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fans notice disrespectful Rockets-Thunder description on League Pass before NBA Cup game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-is-dillon-brooks-playing-vs-thunder-latest-nba-cup-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dillon Brooks available for NBA Cup game vs. Thunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Is-Dillon-Brooks-playing-vs.-Thunder-Latest-NBA-Cup-injury-update.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Dillon Brooks available for NBA Cup game vs. Thunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T09:33:50-08:00">December 14th, 9:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T16:57:43-08:00">December 14th, 4:57pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets (17-8) have listed forward Dillon Brooks as <a href="https://official.nba.com/nba-injury-report-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">questionable</a> for Thursday’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2-reasons-rockets-pull-off-nba-cup-upset-thunder">NBA Cup semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder</a> (19-5) in Las Vegas due to an undisclosed illness. His availability remains uncertain, with a game-time decision likely as the team evaluates his condition ahead of the 8:30 p.m. ET tip-off.</p><p>Brooks played a key role in the Rockets’ narrow 91-90 quarterfinal victory over the Golden State Warriors. In that game, he contributed nine points, four rebounds, two steals, a block, and an assist. The win ended a 15-game losing streak against the Warriors, which had spanned several seasons.</p><p>This season, Brooks has been a consistent presence for Houston, averaging 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 42.4% from the field and 38.1% from beyond the arc. His defensive intensity and versatility have been instrumental in the Rockets’ strong start, placing them fourth in the Western Conference standings.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(Get Access | Save $30)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Dillon Brook’s injury status for Rockets’ NBA Cup semifinals clash vs. Thunder</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dillon-Brooks-9-takes-a-three-point-shot-against-the-Golden-State-Warriors.jpg"><figcaption>© John Hefti-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jalen-green-honest-houston-take-thunder">Rockets face a formidable opponent in the Thunder</a>, who boast the best record in the Western Conference at 19-5. The two teams have split their season series so far, with Houston securing a 119-116 win in their most recent matchup behind Fred VanVleet’s season-high 38 points.</p><p>The Thunder, led by All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have emerged as one of the league’s top contenders this season. Gilgeous-Alexander continues to shine as one of the NBA’s premier offensive threats, anchoring Oklahoma City’s success with his scoring and playmaking.</p><p>The NBA Cup semifinal represents a playoff-like clash between two young and dynamic franchises. Meanwhile, for Houston, Brooks’ status could be a determining factor, as his defensive prowess would be critical in slowing down the Thunder’s potent offense.</p><p>The good news for the Rockets is that Brooks is <a href="https://x.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/1868093889133076606" rel="noopener">available to play</a> against the Thunder after being deemed questionable, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.</p><p>The winner of Thursday’s semifinal will advance to face either the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-cup-semifinals-how-to-watch-tv-stream-schedule-preview">Atlanta Hawks or Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup championship game</a>, which is scheduled for Tuesday evening in Las Vegas. The highly anticipated conclusion to the league’s second annual in-season tournament will crown the NBA Cup champion for the 2024-25 season.</p><p>So, when it comes to the question of if Dillon Brooks is playing tonight vs. the Thunder, the answer is yes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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Rockets News: Get the latest Houston Rockets news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Rockets News

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