<!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/houston-rockets/rockets-steven-adams-back-to-back-problem-could-be-biggest-kryptonite');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steven Adams’ back-to-back problem could be Rockets’ biggest kryptonite this season');   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/2025/12/Steven-Adam.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Steven Adams’ back-to-back problem could be Rockets’ biggest kryptonite this season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T10:38:22-08:00">December 9th, 10:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T10:38:22-08:00">December 9th, 10:38am</time><address><a>Luke Mauro</a>Luke Mauro is a sports journalist based in Houston who covers the Rockets for ClutchPoints. Luke has covered sports for nearly two decades, including the Rockets for the last three years. His life consists of sports, music and Seinfeld.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>At 15-6, the Houston Rockets are off to their best start in eight seasons. But as super as it has been, their kryptonite has emerged: navigating the second night <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-about-steven-adams-presence">of a back-to-back without Steven Adams</a>.</p><p>Houston became the final team in the NBA to play a back-to-back, doing so for the first time on Dec. 1. And so far, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/3-major-concerns-rockets-1st-back-to-back">the Rockets have dropped both games when playing on no rest</a>. First to the Utah Jazz, then Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks, two current non-playoff teams with fewer than 10 wins apiece.</p><p>The problem for Houston? Adams isn’t in the rotation for those games. The Rockets are intentionally holding him out on the second night of back-to-backs.</p><p>And in those games, Houston has struggled across the board. Their defense hasn’t been nearly as sharp (including surrendering a season-high in points to Utah). Their rebounding, typically the best in the league with Adams, has slipped noticeably. And on offense, the absence of Adam’s screening is felt when trying to create opportunities without a true point guard.</p><p>Despite these early warning signs, the Rockets don’t plan to deviate from their approach just yet.</p><h2><b>Ime Udoka won’t change Steven Adams plan yet</b></h2><p>When asked about Adams’ availability, head coach Ime Udoka said that this remains the plan “for now.”</p><p>Adams is 32 and now two years removed from the knee injury that cost him his entire first season in Houston, and eight years removed from playing a full campaign.</p><p>The Rockets are managing his workload with the postseason in mind, prioritizing the 16-game playoff schedule over the 82-game regular season grind.</p><p>Still, Houston must ensure it reaches the postseason in a strong position. Even with only two back-to-backs played, the Rockets sit just percentage points away from the No. 5 seed in a deep Western Conference.</p><p>As the schedule toughens, how well will the Rockets be able to hold off the teams behind them? Houston has 12 more back-to-backs in their remaining 58 games. Add in the fact that their star, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/kevin-durant-still-buckets-37-warning-signs">Kevin Durant, is already 37 years old and will also need to limit his minutes</a> at some point, as well. Which further shrinks the margin for error.</p><p>Houston’s next back-to-back includes the Denver Nuggets in a huge game later this month, followed by the Sacramento Kings, which suddenly becomes a tougher matchup without Adams.</p><p>Udoka’s team is very good at winning with their distinctive brand of basketball: slower pace, limited three-pointers, and the best rebounding attack in the league. But can Houston win when required to play a different way? Such as when Adams is unavailable, and their rebounding advantage disappears.</p><p>At some point, the Rockets will run into a tough matchup, or a team that has solved their style, especially over a long playoff series. To win a title, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/houston-rockets-strong-start-doesnt-guarantee-contenders">Houston will need a reliable change-up</a>. And, so far, they haven’t found one just yet.</p><p>Right now, the Rockets go the way of Adams. But with Adams slated to sit at least 12 more games in a tight Western Conference race, Houston must find an answer to their one glaring kryptonite.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steven Adams’ back-to-back problem could be Rockets’ biggest kryptonite this season

<!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/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-about-steven-adams-presence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets Alperen Sengun gets real about Steven Adams’ presence');   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/2025/10/Alperen-Sengun-hugging-Steven-Adams.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets Alperen Sengun gets real about Steven Adams’ presence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-04T08:04:02-08:00">December 4th, 8:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-04T08:04:02-08:00">December 4th, 8:04am</time><address><a>Jayesh Pagar</a>Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content, delivering in-depth analysis and breaking news coverage across multiple platforms.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun is having a career year, averaging 22.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while helping his team secure a 14-5 record. The 23-year-old has emerged as one of the league’s most complete centers this season, recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-historic-stat-line-wasted-loss-jazz">putting up a historic stat line against the Utah Jazz</a>.</p><p>During a recent press conference, the Turkish big man <a href="https://x.com/mshap2/status/1996441232982290878" rel="noopener">shared his thoughts</a> on what makes veteran Steven Adams so valuable to the Rockets.</p><p>“Man, he’s a monster. I’m the center of this team, and any center in the league wouldn’t be happy signing another good center, you feel me? This summer, when they signed Steven, I was so happy,” Sengun said, via Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated.</p><p>The appreciation runs deeper than just basketball skills. Adams brings a unique energy and toughness that have transformed Houston’s identity this season.</p><p>“Playing with him and bringing that toughness on this team, talking, everything. He’s such a funny guy, talks to everybody, leading us, been fighting under that ring,” Sengun said. “He’s huge for us, and he’s healthy now. He had surgery last year, I would say he kind of missed half of the season, but now he’s better than ever.”</p><p>His work ethic sets the standard for Houston’s roster, with the 32-year-old veteran consistently putting in extra time in the gym.</p><p>“He’s putting the work every day, you can see him in the gym every day. That’s some of the ways you can lead the team,” Sengun said. “You see a 32-year-old man out there working every day, that pushes everybody else too.”</p><p>Adams’ constant communication on the court keeps Houston organized on both ends of the floor, while his vocal leadership has been crucial to their success.</p><p>“When it comes to the court, he just talks all the time, and that’s helped us a lot. He’s a huge person,” Sengun said.</p><p>Adams leads the NBA in offensive rebounding this season. Houston ranks first in the league in offensive boards, creating second-chance opportunities that fuel their high-powered attack. His work on the glass has been central to that effort, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/kevin-durant-grateful-how-fueling-rockets-historic-start">helping the Rockets achieve their best start in years</a>.</p><p>After missing significant time last season due to surgery, the 32-year-old is back to full strength. The pairing of Sengun and Adams in the frontcourt has given the Rockets one of the most effective big man rotations in basketball.</p><p>Houston sits third in the Western Conference standings with championship aspirations. The combination of Sengun’s skill and Adams’ grit has been a major part of their strong start to the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets Alperen Sengun gets real about Steven Adams’ presence

<!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/houston-rockets/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-steven-adams-injury-report-nba-cup-showdown-nuggets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams on injury report for NBA Cup showdown vs. Nuggets');   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/2025/11/Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams on injury report for NBA Cup showdown vs. Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-21T07:24:53-08:00">November 21st, 7:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-21T07:24:53-08:00">November 21st, 7:24am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams on injury report for NBA Cup showdown vs. Nuggets

<!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/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-nba-cup-injury-update-wemby-spurs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets news: Steven Adams’ NBA Cup injury update isn’t a welcome sign vs. Wemby, Spurs');   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/2025/06/Steven-Adams-during-Rockets-game-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets news: Steven Adams’ NBA Cup injury update isn’t a welcome sign vs. Wemby, Spurs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-07T08:07:22-08:00">November 7th, 8:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-07T08:07:22-08:00">November 7th, 8:07am</time><address><a>Rishabh Bhatnagar</a>Rishabh is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/houston-rockets-2025-nba-free-agency-grade-for-every-signing">Houston Rockets opened the 2025-26 campaign with two straight losses</a>, but have since won five games on the trot to go 5-2 for the season thus far. The streak has continued despite the limited availability of Steven Adams, who sat out the game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to tightness in his Left Hip Flexor.</p><p>Now, the Rockets are set to take on none other than the San Antonio Spurs in their first NBA Cup tie of the season. And considering the Rockets’ recent form and the fact that Adams is only questionable for the game as per the NBA’s <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2025-11-07_12AM.pdf" rel="noopener">official injury report</a>, the Spurs may have a problem on their hands.</p><p>Adams’ absence against the Grizzlies marked his first missed game of the season, and the Rockets are choosing a cautious approach given his long injury history and physical playing style. That suggests that the Spurs, who are looking to recover after back-to-back losses against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, may get to try in the absence of Adams once again.</p><p>After missing the 2023–24 season and appearing in only 58 games last year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-player-danger-losing-starting-job-2025-26-training-camp">Adams entered this campaign on a closely managed workload</a> to preserve long-term health. The 32-year-old still played a part in the Rockets finishing 2nd in the West last season and is once again expected to play a major role with his team expected to compete for the championship this time around.</p><p>His production has been impactful in short bursts. Despite averaging 22.5 minutes per appearance, he has produced 9.5 rebounds and an NBA-best 5.0 offensive boards per game thus far.</p><p>The Adams–Alperen Şengün frontcourt pairing has fueled one of the league’s top rebounding units. That becomes even more important against the Spurs, who have in Victor Wembanyama an interior presence that casually dominates games.</p><p>However, the Spurs will know they have a challenge on their hands even with Adams out. If Adams remains out, Clint Capela is expected to assume the backup center role, with Tari Eason likely to absorb additional frontcourt minutes behind Şengün.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets news: Steven Adams’ NBA Cup injury update isn’t a welcome sign vs. Wemby, Spurs

<!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/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-rookies-wild-reaction-finding-insanely-strong-steven-adams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors rookie has wild reaction to finding out how ‘insanely strong’ Steven Adams is');   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/2025/10/CMB.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors rookie has wild reaction to finding out how ‘insanely strong’ Steven Adams is</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-30T06:06:48-07:00">October 30th, 6:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-30T06:06:48-07:00">October 30th, 6:06am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-collin-murray-boyles-nba-debut-injury-toronto-mavericks">Collin Murray-Boyles got his first career start</a> against the Houston Rockets and an unforgettable introduction to NBA physicality courtesy of Steven Adams. After the game, the 20-year-old forward couldn’t help but laugh at what it felt like to go toe-to-toe with one of the <a href="https://x.com/JLew1050/status/1983706422039949477" rel="noopener">league’s most powerful big men.</a></p><p>“He’s insanely strong. My wrists are sore right now, trying to box him out and tussle with him,” Murray-Boyles said postgame. “His strength is… I didn’t think it was like that. I was asking him what his routine is during the game. It’s insane.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles laughing about what it was like trying to guard Rockets big man Steven Adams:</p><p>“He’s insanely strong. My wrist are sore right now trying to bo him out… I was asking him what’s his routine mid game.” <a href="https://t.co/FUBr3XjO39">pic.twitter.com/FUBr3XjO39</a></p><p>— Toronto Star Sports (@StarSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSports/status/1983707718180536805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Raptors’ rookie, who scored 13 points in his debut start filling in for Jakob Poeltl (sore back), had the unenviable task of trying to contain Adams on the glass. The veteran center helped <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-darko-rajakovic-points-to-rockets-game-disaster-that-left-toronto-punked">Houston dominate Toronto 53-22 on the boards</a>, including a staggering 17 offensive rebounds, in a 121-103 loss that extended the Raptors’ losing streak to four games.</p><p>Despite Toronto shooting an impressive 21-for-40 from three-point range, their rebounding issues were too glaring to overcome. Adams, true to his reputation, muscled through box-outs and set bone-jarring screens that left the young Raptor both bruised and impressed.</p><p>“Steven’s been doing this forever, man,” said teammate Scottie Barnes, who led the Raptors with 31 points. “You can’t teach that kind of strength. He moves people.”</p><p>Murray-Boyles’ comments quickly went viral, with fans loving the honesty and awe in his tone. For a rookie getting his first true test of NBA toughness, it was as humbling as it was motivating.</p><p>Toronto, now 1-4 after dropping all three of its games against Texas opponents (Dallas, San Antonio, Houston), will look to bounce back when it visits Cleveland on Friday. And as for Murray-Boyles, he’s taking the bruises in stride.</p><p>“I learned a lot tonight,” he said with a smile. “Next time, maybe I’ll bring wrist wraps.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors rookie has wild reaction to finding out how ‘insanely strong’ Steven Adams is

Dante Exum

Caris LeVert

Nassir Little

Aron Baynes

Steven Adams

Shabazz Napier

Troy Daniels

Thon Maker

Jarred Vanderbilt

Gorgui Dieng

2013-14 All-Rookie

Oklahoma City Thunder

New Orleans Pelicans

Memphis Grizzlies

Houston Rockets

6 seasons

1 season

Career

https://twitter.com/RealStevenAdams/status/1583905618318209024/

https://twitter.com/RealStevenAdams/status/1583897562125590528/

https://twitter.com/RealStevenAdams/status/1543438822746177537/

Bro @BlessedMMA the goat for the @KateBushMusic walk out 😂
#UFC276 #StrangerThings4

https://twitter.com/RealStevenAdams/status/1532079996851855365/

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Kenny McFadden was not just a coach. But a father figure for a lot of us who had the privilege of being coached by him. First impressions of him were always positive because of his contagious smile and swag.

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https://twitter.com/RealStevenAdams/status/1284164648347086848/

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
6.0	9.4	1.6	0.7	0.6

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
6.0	9.4	1.6	0.7	0.6

Steven
Adams

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Raptors rookie has wild reaction to finding out how ‘insanely strong’ Steven Adams is

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