<!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/phoenix-suns/suns-news-suns-players-take-steven-adams-mason-plumlee-fight');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns players give their take on Steven Adams-Mason Plumlee fight');   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/2025/03/Phoenix-players-give-their-take-on-Steven-Adams-Mason-Plumlee-fight.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns players give their take on Steven Adams-Mason Plumlee fight</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-13T17:59:13-07:00">March 13th, 5:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-13T17:59:13-07:00">March 13th, 5:59pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-steven-adams-mason-plumlee-ejected-suns-rocketss-wild-scuffle">fight between Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee</a> headlined the Phoenix Suns’ final game of their four-game road trip.</p><p>During the second quarter, Plumlee was going for a rebound when Adams wrapped him up. However, the latter wouldn’t let go, and neither would the Suns center.</p><p>As a result, both players didn’t let go and went down to the floor. For Suns fans and many alike, it was strange seeing Plumlee be so fired up. He’s usually more passive and doesn’t let his emotions get a hold of him.</p><p>However, this was not the case. For Adams, getting Plumlee out of the game was a must. After all, Phoenix had Nick Richards out that game and had a limited center depth.</p><p>Following the fight, official Tony Brothers declared technical fouls on both players and that they were ejected. After the game, Plumlee spoke to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin regarding the incident and <a href="https://x.com/DuaneRankin/status/1900046953141919984" rel="noopener">what the cause of it was</a>.</p><p>“He goes for every rebound and he does it whether it’s dirty or not,” Plumlee said. “I just felt like they were being more physical than us. I just made a point to hit him on the glass.”</p><h2><b>How did Suns players react to Mason Plumlee?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phoenix-players-give-their-take-on-Steven-Adams-Mason-Plumlee-fight-2.jpg"><figcaption>© Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>One of the bystanders for that scuffle was shooting guard Devin Booker. Like most of the people in the arena and watching, he was a bit stunned at the two big men going at it.</p><p>The shooting guard posted 19 points, three rebounds, and four assists in the loss. He was taking a rest on the bench when he saw the Adams and Plumlee scuffle go down.</p><p>Regardless of who started the altercation, Booker <a href="https://x.com/DuaneRankin/status/1900044202865578029" rel="noopener">stuck up for his teammate</a> following the game and gave his take on the fight.</p><p>“Obviously I’m biased,” Booker said via Rankin. “But I feel like Steven tried to pick him up and slam him and Mason happened to just be on top of him.”</p><p>On the flip side, Booker’s teammate, Kevin Durant, wasn’t too phased by the altercation. Funny enough, the Suns All-Star <a href="https://x.com/DuaneRankin/status/1900039601898557814" rel="noopener">had minimal words</a> about it.</p><p>“My opinion on that does not matter,” Durant said.</p><p>Much of the same can be said for the Suns head coach, Mike Budenholzer. He’s no stranger to the game of basketball. Like most of the season, he kept his response to the point.</p><p>“It’s just two guys getting tangled up,” Budenholzer said. “Both physical, both competitors.”</p><h2><b>Why did Mason Plumlee and Steven Adams fight?</b></h2><p>As Plumlee mentioned, it was two players that were fighting for a rebound. However, that altercation was symbolic of teams punishing the Suns all season.</p><p>In the paint, they have dominated. Even when the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-mike-budenholzer-excited-nick-richards-trade">Suns traded Josh Okogie for Nick Richards</a>, teams haven’t been fearful. Not to mention, there’s an ample amount of trash talk.</p><p>With Booker and Durant being trash talkers themselves, this season hasn’t helped. Their record, combined with all of the rumors surrounding the team has put a target on their back.</p><p>Combined with the toughest remaining schedule in the league, Phoenix is in danger of missing the play-in tournament. Even though they hold the tiebreaker over the Dallas Mavericks, the latter could surpass them in win total.</p><p>Although they already have, if they finish with a better record than the Suns, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, the fight between Adams and Plumlee is symbolic of fighting back when it is too late.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns players give their take on Steven Adams-Mason Plumlee fight

<!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-ime-udokas-savage-take-on-steven-adams-mason-plumlee-fight');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Ime Udoka has savage take on Steven Adams-Mason Plumlee fight');   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/2025/03/Ime-Udokas-savage-take-on-Steven-Adams-Mason-Plumlee-fight.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Ime Udoka has savage take on Steven Adams-Mason Plumlee fight</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-12T22:45:29-07:00">March 12th, 10:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-12T22:45:29-07:00">March 12th, 10:45pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Wednesday night, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-steven-adams-mason-plumlee-ejected-suns-rocketss-wild-scuffle">a skirmish broke out between Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee</a> during the second quarter of the Houston Rockets’ 111-104 win over the Phoenix Suns. Adams and Plumlee both got tangled up while battling on the boards, and things got heated — with Plumlee shoving Adams to the point where both men wrestled each other straight to the ground.</p><p>When Adams and Plumlee were being separated, there was a huge grin on the Rockets center’s face, as if to suggest that what went on between the two was child’s play. And head coach Ime Udoka believes that if Adams really wanted to inflict pain, <a href="http://twitter.com/clutchfans/status/1900014854171152654" rel="noopener">he could have gone further than he did</a>.</p><p>“It wasn’t much. Steven could do a lot more if he was really trying to wrestle,” Udoka said with a smile on his face during his postgame presser, via ClutchFans on X (formerly Twitter).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ime Udoka was asked what he thought of the wrestling match:</p><p>“It wasn’t much. Steven could do a lot more if he was really trying to wrestle.” <a href="https://t.co/r0sUnPLoEZ">https://t.co/r0sUnPLoEZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/VewuYH8PG1">pic.twitter.com/VewuYH8PG1</a></p><p>— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) <a href="https://twitter.com/clutchfans/status/1900014854171152654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Both big men were ejected from the game after their altercation, although this did not mean much in the grand scheme of things as the Rockets held on for a seven-point win in a game that they were leading for most of its duration.</p><p>Opposing teams are learning that messing with the Rockets from a physicality standpoint is not a recipe for success. They are perhaps the fiercest team in the association, and it’s probably best for opponents if they steer clear of any act that can ignite the fire underneath them.</p><h2><b>Steven Adams embodies the Rockets’ identity</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Rockets-coach-Ime-Udoka-talking-with-Steven-Adams.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rockets have prided themselves all season long on beating up on opponents on the offensive glass; they boast the league’s best rebounding percentage, and they make up for some of their rough shooting nights by bringing their A-game, effort-wise, on a nightly basis.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-two-year-journey-overcome-injury-struggles">Nobody embodies this relentlessness and effort better than Steven Adam</a>s; Adams has long been one of the best offensive rebounders in the league, and he always seems to have a positive impact on whatever team he’s on, both as a stand-up guy in the locker room as well as someone who prides himself on doing the dirty work for his team. And the Rockets have certainly been getting the best out of Adams recently, even though his night was cut short on Wednesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Ime Udoka has savage take on Steven Adams-Mason Plumlee fight

<!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/nba-stories/nba-news-steven-adams-mason-plumlee-ejected-suns-rocketss-wild-scuffle');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steven Adams, Mason Plumlee ejected from Suns-Rockets after wild 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/2025/03/NBA-news-Steven-Adams-Mason-Plumlee-ejected-from-Suns-Rocketss-after-wild-scuffle.jpg"></figure><h1>Steven Adams, Mason Plumlee ejected from Suns-Rockets after wild scuffle</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-12T19:28:26-07:00">March 12th, 7:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-12T19:31:51-07:00">March 12th, 7:31pm</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Who said the NBA is no longer a physical league? Hulking centers Mason Plumlee of the Phoenix Suns and Steven Adams of the Houston Rockets may have something to say about that after getting into a heated moment during the first half of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/suns-vs-rockets-prediction-odds-pick-spread-3-12-2025">Wednesday’s game at Toyota Center in Houston</a>.</p><p>The scuffle started shortly after a two-point jumper by Rockets star Jalen Green. During the ensuing inbound play, Adams appeared to put his arms under Plumlee’s. The Suns center then pushed back, resulting in the two vets falling to the ground, as players and coaches immediately rushed to the scene to break up the two.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee wrestled each other to the ground 🤯</p><p>They were both ejected from the game.<a href="https://t.co/YdNo0cYbiL">pic.twitter.com/YdNo0cYbiL</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1899988938040713574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Steven Adams and Plumlee were later slapped with double technical fouls for their actions, resulting in a double ejection, with referee Tony Brothers <a href="https://x.com/BleacherReport/status/1899992064445632948" rel="noopener">making the announcement</a>.</p><p>Before they exited the game, Adams had a point, four rebounds and an assist in just 11 minutes of action off the bench, while Plumlee, who started for the Suns, had four points and six boards in 13 minutes.</p><p>Plumlee’s ejection left the Suns with an even slimmer situation in the frontcourt, as center Nick Richards was not available to play in the Rockets game because of an ankle issue. Meanwhile, Adams’ departure from the contest had the Rockets losing someone who can give Alperen Sengun a breather. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-amen-thompson-to-miss-up-to-2-weeks-due-to-unfortunate-injury">Rockets also did not have Amen Thompson</a> in the game.</p><p>Fans also have lots of things to say about the scuffle between Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee, who, interestingly enough, has some sort of heartwarming history. A few years ago, when Adams and Plumlee were still playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets, respectively, the two went viral after Adams made sure to break Plumlee’s fall during a play under the basket.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">After all that Steven Adams did for Plumlee 😔<a href="https://t.co/1qjlOvUVu9">pic.twitter.com/1qjlOvUVu9</a> <a href="https://t.co/oZACXT45LX">https://t.co/oZACXT45LX</a></p><p>— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAMemes/status/1899989424529703241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>As for the game itself, the Rockets ended up beating the Suns, 111-104.</p><p>Green led Houston with 29 points while Sengun had 20. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/phoenix-suns-fatal-flaw-must-fixed-2025-nba-all-star-break">struggling Suns</a> were paced by Bradley Beal’s 25 points.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steven Adams, Mason Plumlee ejected from Suns-Rockets after wild 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', '/rockets-news-ime-udoka-steven-adams-truth-bomb-vs-lakers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ime Udoka drops Steven Adams truth bomb after vet shined vs. Lakers');   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/2025/01/Rockets-news-Ime-Udoka-drops-Steven-Adams-truth-bomb-after-vet-shined-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Ime Udoka drops Steven Adams truth bomb after vet shined vs. Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-06T02:33:36-08:00">January 6th, 2:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-06T02:33:36-08:00">January 6th, 2:33am</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>Ime Udoka and the Houston Rockets secured a crucial home win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, thanks to a familiar performance by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-steven-adams-two-year-journey-overcome-injury-struggles">backup center Steven Adams</a>. Despite limited playing time this season due to recovery from major knee surgery, Adams made a significant impact.</p><p>“That’s who he has been his whole career,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said about Adams, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/BinkleyHoops/status/1876099641571508671" rel="noopener">who also excelled</a> in setting solid screens. In just 17 minutes, Adams contributed 8 points and 9 rebounds, with 7 of those coming on the offensive glass. He shot an impressive 75% (3-of-4) from the field, highlighted by a jaw-dropping putback dunk that stunned both fans and teammates at the Toyota Center. The Rockets outscored the Lakers by 17 points during his time on the court.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I asked Udoka if this is exactly what they were hoping for when they traded for Steven Adams.<br>“That’s who he has been his whole career” <a href="https://t.co/BSaLwHCde0">pic.twitter.com/BSaLwHCde0</a></p><p>— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/BinkleyHoops/status/1876099641571508671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Over 11 NBA seasons, Adams has posted averages of 9.0 points on 58.8% shooting and 8.1 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game. The 6-foot-11, 265-pound center is widely regarded as one of the toughest and most physical players in the league.</p><h2><b>Ime Udoka commends Steven Adams’ strong return after his injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Rockets-coach-Ime-Udoka-talking-with-Steven-Adams.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Adams’ strong performance helped compensate for a lackluster outing from starter Alperen Sengun, who connected on just 6-of-14 attempts (42.9%) as Houston was outscored by 14 points during his 31 minutes on the floor.</p><p>The Kiwi shared that his right knee now feels as strong as it did before his surgery—an encouraging sign that could significantly benefit Houston in the final stretch of the 2024-25 season.</p><p>“It’s back to normal,” said the 31-year-old after the game. “It’s been progressing more and more. We’ve been keeping an eye on it, and my comfort with the team has just been progressing, as we planned.”</p><p>The Lakers stormed back from an early 22-point deficit with scorching perimeter shooting and 16 made 3-pointers, dominating the third quarter. Despite the surge, Houston regained control early in the fourth and managed to secure the win in the final moments.</p><h2><b>Amen Thompson’s comeback from suspension</b></h2><p>Sophomore forward Amen Thompson made a strong impression in his debut as Houston’s starting power forward, stepping in for the injured Jabari Smith Jr. Thompson, returning from a two-game NBA suspension, delivered an exceptional performance in the role.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-amen-thompson-breaks-silence-monster-game-vs-lakers-after-suspension">Thompson marked his return with an impressive stat line</a>, recording 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 assists while converting 11 of his 19 attempts (57.9%). Jalen Green spearheaded the Rockets’ offense, tallying a game-high 33 points on 12-of-24 shooting (50.0%), including 5-of-12 from beyond the arc (41.7%).</p><p>With Thompson and Adams playing crucial roles, Houston dominated the rebounding battle, finishing with a 49-39 advantage over Los Angeles. The Rockets currently lead the NBA in rebounding this season.</p><p>Adams and the Rockets, currently sitting at No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, aim to build on their momentum as they kick off a three-game road trip on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards (6-27).</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ime Udoka drops Steven Adams truth bomb after vet shined vs. Lakers

<!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-steven-adams-two-year-journey-overcome-injury-struggles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Steven Adams details ‘two-year journey’ to overcome injury struggles');   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/2024/10/Steven-Adams-details-two-year-journey-to-overcome-injury-struggles.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Steven Adams details ‘two-year journey’ to overcome injury struggles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-31T09:11:29-07:00">October 31st, 9:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-31T09:11:29-07:00">October 31st, 9:11am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Steven Adams made his debut with the Houston Rockets on Monday, but it wasn’t just a debut with a new team for the big Kiwi, it was his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-steven-adams-message-fans-646-day-absence">return to an NBA court after more than 600 days away</a>.</p><p>Back in January 2023, Adams suffered a PCL injury in his right knee. Initially thought to be an injury that would sideline him for a month or so, it became a much longer, more serious road back to playing. At the time, Adams played for the Memphis Grizzlies, who held onto hope that Adams would be able to avoid surgery and be ready to go by the beginning of the 2023-24 season.</p><p>But Adams’ knee did not recover how he nor the team expected, and shortly before Memphis was set to tip off their season last October, the team announced Adams would undergo a procedure on his knee. In February, ahead of the trade deadline, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-steven-adams-trade-rockets">Grizzlies traded Adams to the Rockets</a>, with whom he made his return Monday against the San Antonio Spurs.</p><p>After the win, Adams <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rockets/article/steven-adams-return-knee-injury-19873661.php?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=sftwitter&amp;utm_source=twitter.com" rel="noopener">spoke to the</a> media about getting back to playing after nearly two years on the sideline.</p><p>“It was just good to be back. It’s been a long journey,” Adams said [h/t Houston Chroncile]. “There’s still a lot of work to do, but it’s just fun to be out there with the boys, especially on a new team. Getting traded mid-injury, mid-rehab, it’s just good to actually play with the team. It just hits a bit differently when you speak to your team when you’re playing.”</p><p>He also added: “Typically with surgeries, that’s why they call it a two-year process because physically, you’ll heal in the first year. The second year is the mental part, getting the connection back,” he said. “So it’s just that mental part now, but then also the mental part of the game: flow, timing, reading the body language, stuff like that.”</p><p>The 12th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Adams began his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After seven seasons with the Thunder, Adams was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he spent a season before being traded to the Grizzlies. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-jaren-jackson-jr-opens-up-steven-adams-influence-vets-trade-rockets">Adams helped lead Memphis</a> to back-to-back Southwest Division titles and second seeds in the Western Conference.</p><p>The 31-year-old New Zealand native is in the second and last season of the 2-year, $25.2 million contract extension he signed with the Grizzlies in October 2022. He is set to make $12.6 million this season and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.</p><p>Adams logged 6 points and 3 rebounds in 14 minutes vs. the Spurs after not playing in any of the first three games of the 2024-25 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Steven Adams details ‘two-year journey’ to overcome injury struggles

<!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-steven-adams-jokes-about-punching-rudy-gobert-in-nose');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Steven Adams jokes about punching Rudy Gobert in nose');   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/2024/10/Steven-Adams-jokes-about-punching-Rudy-Gobert-in-nose.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Steven Adams jokes about punching Rudy Gobert in nose</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-30T10:26:30-07:00">October 30th, 10:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-30T10:26:30-07:00">October 30th, 10:26am</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>Houston Rockets center Steven Adams <a href="https://hoopshype.com/rumor/3252792/" rel="noopener">stirred up attention online</a> with a lighthearted Instagram comment aimed at Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert. In a now-deleted post, Adams had joked, “$20, I punch Rudy Gobert square in the nose,” tagging Gobert in the playful jab. Known for his sense of humor off the court, Adams appeared to be poking fun rather than making a serious remark. However, the comment quickly gained traction among fans, prompting Instagram to remove it. Adams later shared on his Instagram story that the platform had taken down his comment, adding to the buzz surrounding the exchange.</p><p>The post came shortly after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-joe-mazzulla-wants-fighting-power-plays-nba">Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla shared his thoughts</a> on NBA regulations during an NBC Sports interview, expressing that the league has, in his view, lost some entertainment value by curbing physical confrontations.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">IG removing Steven Adams’ comment is hilarious 😭😭😭</p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/DimeUPROXX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DimeUPROXX</a>) <a href="https://t.co/Oc8XxtOQp7">pic.twitter.com/Oc8XxtOQp7</a></p><p>— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1851651606900772887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>“The biggest thing that we rob people of from an entertainment standpoint, is you can’t fight anymore,” Mazzulla said. “You wanna talk about robbing the league of entertainment, what’s more entertaining than a little scuffle?” His comments resonated with some fans and players alike, reigniting discussions on the NBA’s evolving stance on physicality.</p><h2><b>Steven Adams’ playful jab at Rudy Gobert adds intrigue to upcoming NBA Cup clash</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Steven-Adams-jokes-about-punching-Rudy-Gobert-in-nose-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Adams, a veteran center known for his tough play, recently returned to the court after a lengthy absence due to a torn ACL while with the Memphis Grizzlies. In his first game back for the Rockets, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-steven-adams-message-fans-646-day-absence">Adams recorded six points and three rebounds</a> in 14 minutes during a close 106-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, offering a glimpse of his potential impact for Houston. His return is anticipated to bolster the Rockets’ interior defense and rebounding as they embark on the new season with a refreshed roster.</p><p>The Rockets’ upcoming NBA Cup match against the Timberwolves on November 26 could bring added excitement, with Adams and Gobert set to face off. Given Adams’ playful comment and history of gritty play, fans are eager to see if the two centers will share any ‘friendly’ interaction — or keep it strictly competitive. The exchange between Adams and Gobert underscores the role of rivalries and personalities in the NBA, adding to the anticipation surrounding the league’s inaugural NBA Cup tournament.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Steven Adams jokes about punching Rudy Gobert in nose

<!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-steven-adams-message-fans-646-day-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets center Steven Adams’ message to fans after 646 day-absence');   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/2024/10/Rockets-news-Steven-Adams-message-to-fans-after-646-day-absence.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets center Steven Adams’ message to fans after 646 day-absence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-29T15:06:25-07:00">October 29th, 3:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-29T15:06:25-07:00">October 29th, 3:06pm</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">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-named-as-team-to-watch-if-heat-trade-jimmy-butler">Houston Rockets weathered trade rumors</a> and signed two of their key young pieces including <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-forever-claim-185-million-contract-extension">Alperen Sengun to long term contract extensions</a> before the 2024-25 season, which has gotten off to a decent start. The Rockets currently sit at 2-2 following Monday evening’s road win against the San Antonio Spurs in a game in which Houston went up by double digits but ended up having to hang on for dear life at the end.</p><p>Monday evening also marked the season debut of Rockets center Steven Adams, who last appeared in the NBA during the 2022-23 season as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies but has since undergone a series of injuries. Adams logged 14 minutes of action in the contest and recorded six points to go along with three rebounds.</p><p>After the game, Adams took to his account on X, formerly Twitter, with <a href="https://x.com/RealStevenAdams/status/1851108282871542237" rel="noopener">a special message</a> for Rockets Nation, quote tweeting a post from Steven Adams Stats.</p><p>“Appreciate you helping me along the way friends and family… grateful to experience this with all of you,” wrote Adams, alongside a slew of prayer hands emojis.</p><p>While he may not have quite the impact he did during his prime days with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Adams still seems poised to provide a steady veteran presence to what is overall a youthful Rockets locker room.</p><h2><b>Can the Rockets make the playoffs this year?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Adams-during-preseason.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>On paper, there is quite a bit to like about this Houston Rockets squad, led by big man Alperen Sengun and shooting guard Jalen Green, both of whom were recently inked to extensions with the franchise.</p><p>Meanwhile, rookie Reed Sheppard looked great during Summer League and preseason and has largely carried that momentum with him into the real thing, while youngsters Jabari Smith Jr. and Cam Whitmore continue to show growth in their own right.</p><p>In many years, this Rockets team may figure to be a lock to at least secure a play-in birth; however, due to the rapidly increasing depth of talent around the league, particularly in the vaunted Western Conference, there aren’t really any guarantees for anyone this year.</p><p>Still, Rockets fans have to be excited by what they saw in their team’s resilient win in San Antonio on Monday, which occurred on the heels of a tough loss to the Spurs two nights prior.</p><p>In any case, the Rockets are next slated to take the floor on Thursday on the road against the Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets center Steven Adams’ message to fans after 646 day-absence

<!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-steven-adams-drops-hilarious-throwback-kevin-garnett-story');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steven Adams drops hilarious throwback Kevin Garnett story');   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/2024/08/Rockets-news-Steven-Adams-drops-hilarious-throwback-Kevin-Garnett-story.jpg"></figure><h1>Steven Adams drops hilarious throwback Kevin Garnett story</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-08-07T18:31:45-07:00">August 7th, 6:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-08-07T18:59:40-07:00">August 7th, 6:59pm</time><address><a>Itiel Estudillo</a>Itiel Estudillo is an NBA and Gaming Journalist at ClutchPoints. He's been working as a sports analyst for two years now and aims to leave a remarkable impression in the industry. When off the keyboard, Itiel participates in the local basketball league and pickup games. But when he's off the court, he also loves to grab his controller and enjoy a vast collection of video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Steven Adams is known to be one of the nicest players in the NBA but also one of the toughest. However, there came a time when Adams wasn’t tough enough to face <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kevin-garnett-warns-nba-of-knicks-problem-in-2024-25">the wrath of Kevin Garnett</a>. The Houston Rockets center <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1821331250918920518" rel="noopener">shared a hilarious story</a> about him faking having a language barrier to avoid hearing harsh words from Garnett.</p><p>Adams hopped on the most recent episode of THE MORNING SHIFT podcast. In that episode, the hosts wanted to confirm if the story about the Rockets center faking a language barrier was true. The big man didn’t deny the question and hilariously told them what exactly took place.</p><p>Adams told the hosts the reason behind his shenanigans was because he wasn’t feeling confident on that night. The last thing he needed was to get verbally destroyed by Garnett. He then mentioned that the one-time champion’s trash-talking began when he got into a heated moment with his former teammate Kendrick Perkins. Adams then had to check in for Perkins and immediately told Garnett he didn’t know how to speak English.</p><blockquote>“My confidence wasn’t high man,” Adams said. “I wasn’t trying to get torn down. … Kendrick Perkins and KG played together. They started mouthing off. I was coming in, and [Garnett] was like ‘Yo, look’ and I was like ‘No English, bro’. He didn’t say anything after that, thank goodness. He would’ve ruined me.”</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“My confidence wasn’t high, man… I was coming in, and [Kevin Garnett] was like, ‘Yo, look’… I was like, 'No English, bro'… He didn’t say anything after that, thank goodness. He would’ve ruined me.”</p><p>— Steven Adams 😂</p><p>(via THE MORNING SHIFT / YT)<a href="https://t.co/2fHMYQBU6w">pic.twitter.com/2fHMYQBU6w</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1821331250918920518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Steven Adams’ evolution in the NBA</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Steven-Adams-talking-to-the-referee.jpg"><figcaption>© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Steven Adams is one of the nicest players in the NBA today. On top of his good demeanor, Adams backs it up with solid numbers as a center. As a result, teams tend to want having him on the team whether it’s for the starting position or just a bench player.</p><p>While Adams made it seem he was afraid of players like Kevin Garnett in his younger years, he is currently one of the toughest big men in the league. Some players even shared their stories of how baffled they were to discover the big man’s strength. Thanks to his superhuman abilities, Adams is able to utilize them and use them to his advantage.</p><p>As of the 2022-23 season, before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-steven-adams-breaks-silence-on-injury-recovery-trade-to-houston">Adams got injured</a>, he averaged 11.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 42 games. He also once ranked 12th among the Defensive Player of the Year candidates back in the 2017-18 season. The big man even arguably played a big role in Russell Westbrook’s MVP season.</p><p>Now with the 2024-25 season rapidly approaching, the Houston Rockets are hoping to get the same player Adams was before getting injured. Hopefully, the New Zealander giant can deliver on his role when the time comes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steven Adams drops hilarious throwback Kevin Garnett story

<!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-steven-adams-breaks-silence-on-injury-recovery-trade-to-houston');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets: Steven Adams breaks silence on injury recovery, trade to Houston');   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/2024/03/Rockets_news_Steven_Adams_breaks_silence_on_injury_recovery_trade_to_Houston.webp"></figure><h1>Rockets: Steven Adams breaks silence on injury recovery, trade to Houston</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-02T20:17:05-08:00">March 2nd, 8:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-02T20:22:06-08:00">March 2nd, 8:22pm</time><address><a>Jeremy Gretzer</a>Jeremy Gretzer joins ClutchPoints with a unique blend of experience in both the performing arts and sports journalism. A Houston native, Jeremy is happy to receive the opportunity as a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Rockets. During his tenure at Back Sports Page, he honed his skills in sports writing, social media, and reporting, gaining valuable experience and having the opportunity to interact with notable figures from the NBA during media day, various charity, and pro camps events. His approach is analytical yet accessible, ensuring dedicated fans and casual readers alike can appreciate his insights.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The big splash the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-get-crushing-steven-adams-injury-update-as-2023-24-regular-season-dawns" rel="noopener"> Houston Rockets landed</a> at the trade deadline in Steven Adams will eventually become a nice added piece to the growing young core. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-how-grizzlies-rockets-steven-adams-trade-impacts-2024-nba-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">Adams is out</a> for the current season due to knee surgery, his fit on the roster for next season provides a much-needed depth on rebounding and defense.</p><p>The last update regarding the big man’s health was formally mentioned by general manager Rafael Stone, ensuring everyone that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-steven-adams-gets-crucial-injury-update-trade-houston" rel="noopener">Adams will become fully ready</a> for the Rockets’ training camp in September. To make things easier, Adams recorded a video of himself informally letting the NBA media know he is going to play for the Rockets. He also appears excited for the future as he showed the Rockets logo in the clip.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Steven Adams on joining the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rockets</a> </p><p>“I’m excited to play with them. I get to see Dillon Brooks again… get to see his ugly mug more often now…</p><p>I’m excited to go see Houston &amp; see what they’re building. They’ve got good young players.” <a href="https://t.co/cIF77JNwIf">pic.twitter.com/cIF77JNwIf</a></p><p>— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) <a href="https://twitter.com/funakistats/status/1763989817610977605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I’m excited to play with them [Rockets]. I get to see Dillon Brooks again. Good to see his ugly mug more often now. I’m excited to go see Houston, what they are building. They’ve got good young players there. Should be cool. Meet all the fans and whatnot,” Adams shared.</p><p>During his time with the Grizzlies, Steven Adams was Dillon Brooks’ teammate. The two clearly have a great relationship together after performing in back-to-back playoff appearances.</p><p>“He’s [Adams] a great teammate to be around,” Brooks mentioned. “He’s selfless, would do anything the coaches ask for. He listens to each and every one of his players.”</p><h2><b>More Steven Adams update</b></h2><p>Two weeks after the deadline, the veteran center got back on the court and did some practice drills. This was his first time playing basketball since his knee surgery in November of last year.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Steven Adams gave an update after getting back on the court for the first time since knee surgery in November last year..</p><p>“It felt great on court… felt really, really good. Really happy with today” <a href="https://t.co/7vwqrdvSCG">pic.twitter.com/7vwqrdvSCG</a></p><p>— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) <a href="https://twitter.com/funakistats/status/1763745508806549960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“We didn’t go too hard cause we just wanna test it out,” Steven Adams said. “All that means is go through some drills. From their we’ll see how my body responds tomorrow and make any adjustments if need be. Felt great on the court. Felt really, really good. Pretty happy with today.”</p><p>It’s definitely a great sign for the Rockets to see Adams feel extremely content with his progress amid his injury recovery,.</p><h2><b>Rockets’ focus on next season</b></h2><p>As much as the Rockets faithful so desperately desires, this <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-slump-with-24-30-record-heading-into-the-all-star-break">current season</a> looks to be another year of growing pains for the team. Yes, they are better than the last three years combined. Still, the roster isn’t constructed as well as initially thought, with key players underperforming and the injury bug hampering the team throughout the season.</p><p>With a little over a month left in the final stretch and now seven games away from the final play-in spot in the West, the chances Houston makes a last-ditch effort to enter playoff contention is very unlikely. With that said, focusing on the offseason and what else they can do to improve the roster should be Houston’s top priority.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets: Steven Adams breaks silence on injury recovery, trade to Houston

<!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-steven-adams-gets-crucial-injury-update-trade-houston');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Steven Adams gets crucial injury update after trade to Houston');   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/2024/02/rockets-news-steven-adams-gets-crucial-injury-update-after-trade-to-houston.webp"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Steven Adams gets crucial injury update after trade to Houston</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-12T20:11:58-08:00">February 12th, 8:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-12T20:11:58-08:00">February 12th, 8:11pm</time><address><a>Brian Buyawe</a>Brian Buyawe is a sports aficionado with a passion for basketball, football and Formula One. His hobbies include running, reading and playing in recreational leagues. Back when he was a kid, Brian stumbled upon an old Larry Bird documentary among his family's collection of movies, which made him a lifelong Celtics fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets recently acquired Steven Adams, providing the team with a veteran presence in the frontcourt. While the big man is still recovering from knee surgery, it seems that his rehabilitation progress is going well. Speaking to the media, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone confirmed that Adams <a href="https://twitter.com/clutchfans/status/1757184021627318641" rel="noopener">would be back</a> on the court once Houston’s training camp begins.</p><p>“We passed his physical…the surgery went really well,” Stone said. “He’s ahead of schedule on the rehab. So the answer is yes, we’re very comfortable and we do expect that he should be ready for camp.” (clip via ClutchFans)</p><p>The GM made it clear, however, that the team won’t be rushing Adams if any complications arise moving forward.</p><p>“We’re not gonna rush him. If something happens and he’s a little late, that would be perfectly fine. But as of right now, I do anticipate he’ll be ready,” Stone added.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rockets</a> GM Rafael Stone says Steven Adams is ahead of schedule in rehab and he anticipates that the 30-year old center will be ready to go for camp in 2024-25. <a href="https://t.co/sRcgKD709L">pic.twitter.com/sRcgKD709L</a></p><p>— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) <a href="https://twitter.com/clutchfans/status/1757184021627318641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>A brute force under the rim, Adams brings rebounding and rim protection to the Rockets. Prior to being traded, the center was averaging 8.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>Right now, the Rockets have a young frontline in developing stars Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. Both are far from reaching their full potential, so Adams’ experience and veteran leadership could help boost their growth to the next level.</p><p>Overall, Houston has been relatively quiet this season, with a below .500 record at the bottom half of the Western Conference standings. Still, a silver lining comes in the form of expected <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-gm-issues-stern-reminder-jalen-green-alperen-sengun-amid-growth" rel="noopener">improvement from Sengun</a>, Smith Jr, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. There’s no telling when the young players will peak, but with vets such as Steven Adams <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ex-raptor-fred-vanvleet-reacts-to-torontos-awesome-tribute-in-return" rel="noopener">and Fred VanVleet</a> present, it might not be too long.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Steven Adams gets crucial injury update after trade to Houston

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-memphis-waives-victor-oladipo-steven-adams-rockets-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies waive Victor Oladipo after arrival in Steven Adams, Rockets trade');   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/2024/02/Grizzlies_news__Memphis_waives_Victor_Oladipo_after_arrival_in_Steven_Adams_Rockets_trade.webp"></figure><h1>Grizzlies waive Victor Oladipo after arrival in Steven Adams, Rockets trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-08T14:13:56-08:00">February 8th, 2:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-08T14:13:56-08:00">February 8th, 2:13pm</time><address><a>Christopher Smith</a>Chris Smith is an All Sports Editor for ClutchPoints. The Aurora, Illinois native earned a degree in philosophy from Creighton University, where he also competed as a Division 1 Cross Country runner. Smith has previously written for FanSided and Last Word on Sports, and his primary interests lie in the NBA, Brooklyn Nets, and distance running.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Memphis Grizzlies shook their roster with a big NBA trade deadline move. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-steven-adams-trade-rockets" rel="noopener">Memphis traded veteran big man</a> Steven Adams to the Houston Rockets for Victor Oladipo and draft picks. However, Oladipo will not have a long stay with the Grizzlies after a new report surfaces.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies will not make use of Oladipo after their big trade</b></h2><p>The Grizzlies have waived Victor Oladipo upon his arrival from Houston, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1755691564951912814?s=20" rel="noopener">per Shams Charania</a>. The 31-year-old is recovering from knee surgery after suffering a torn patellar tendon during the spring of 2023. In his last full season with the Miami Heat, Oladipo averaged 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.</p><p>Hopefully, the former All-Star can find a team to contribute his services to upon his recovery. In the meantime, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-memphis-jaren-jackson-plan-center-options-after-steven-adams-deal" rel="noopener">the Grizzlies will continue</a> to try to find a spark during a treacherous 2023-24 season.</p><p>Memphis is 18-33 and sits 13th in the Western Conference standings. Unfortunately, the team has been struck with endless injury woes. Most notably, Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Marcus Smart are out with serious injuries. Bane and Smart are due for an evaluation to return at the midpoint of the season.</p><p>Moreover, Memphis has been without the services of multiple big men. Steven Adams was recovering from a season-ending injury before his trade to the Rockets. Meanwhile, Brandon Clarke has been out with an Achilles injury.</p><p>Jaren Jackson Jr. is also dealing with a hip ailment that could impact his availability.</p><p>The Grizzlies’ year has been a stark contrast from the 2022-23 season. The team went from second in the Western Conference to holding a 13th-place standing. Nevertheless, Memphis will find a way to regain competitiveness.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies waive Victor Oladipo after arrival in Steven Adams, Rockets trade

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-memphis-jaren-jackson-plan-center-options-after-steven-adams-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies Jaren Jackson plan, other center options after Steven Adams 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/2024/02/Grizzlies_news_Memphis__Jaren_Jackson_plan_other_center_options_after_Steven_Adams_deal_copy.webp"></figure><h1>Grizzlies Jaren Jackson plan, other center options after Steven Adams deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-02T18:08:39-08:00">February 2nd, 6:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-02T18:08:39-08:00">February 2nd, 6:08pm</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Head coach Taylor Jenkins and the Memphis Grizzlies are currently in the midst of what seems to be a lost season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-how-grizzlies-rockets-steven-adams-trade-impacts-2024-nba-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">The Grizzlies recently</a> lost star point guard Ja Morant for the year with an injury just a few weeks after getting him back from suspension, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/taylor-jenkins-wife-chantall-lissette-jenkins" rel="noopener">Jenkins’ squad is now</a> on the outside looking in of the Western Conference playoff picture.</p><p>Recently, the Grizzlies made an interesting move by trading away center Steven Adams–also injured for the year–to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a combination centered around Victor Oladipo and draft picks.</p><p>Jenkins has since spoken <a href="https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2024/02/02/steven-adams-trade-memphis-grizzlies-houston-rockets/72372914007/" rel="noopener">on Adams’ departure</a>.</p><p>“Big-time thanks to (Adams),” Jenkins said, per Damichael Cole of Commercial Appeal. “Opportunities come throughout the league. We got to make some decisions. Obviously we’re excited about the flexibility it creates for us. . . . The impact (Adams) made was a big one for us. Obviously we’re going to miss him. Hopefully he gets healthy. He’s been working really hard in his rehab. He had a huge impact not just on the floor, but also in the locker room.”</p><p>Jenkins also spoke on how the team plans to play starting power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. at center more moving forward.</p><p>“Learning that development opportunity for (Jackson) with the ball in his hands more as a screener,” Jenkins said. “Having some shooting around him. But also, the Steven archetype. Someone that’s big and physical, does a great job setting screens, rebounder, facilitator. All things that we want Jaren to continue to grow in as well.”</p><p>The Grizzlies next take the floor against the Boston Celtics on February 4.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies Jaren Jackson plan, other center options after Steven Adams deal

Sources: How Grizzlies’ Steven Adams trade with Rockets impacts 2024 NBA trade deadline

<!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', '/grizzlies-news-jaren-jackson-jr-opens-up-steven-adams-influence-vets-trade-rockets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. opens up about Steven Adams’ influence after vet’s trade to Rockets');   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/2024/02/Grizzlies_news_Jaren_Jackson_Jr._opens_up_about_huge_Steven_Adams_influence_after_vet_s_trade_to_Rockets.webp"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. opens up about Steven Adams’ influence after vet’s trade to Rockets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-02T04:04:37-08:00">February 2nd, 4:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-02T04:04:37-08:00">February 2nd, 4:04am</time><address><a>Brian Buyawe</a>Brian Buyawe is a sports aficionado with a passion for basketball, football and Formula One. His hobbies include running, reading and playing in recreational leagues. Back when he was a kid, Brian stumbled upon an old Larry Bird documentary among his family's collection of movies, which made him a lifelong Celtics fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nowadays, NBA offenses revolve around the three-point line so much that even big men are getting their points from the outside. From undersized power forwards to seven-foot giants, many of those playing the four and the five are a threat from beyond the arc. Still, there’s a small group of traditional bigs making a living down in the paint, and one of them is Steven Adams.</p><p>Dubbed by many as the strongest man in the NBA, Adams gets his minutes by anchoring the middle. He doesn’t score a ton of points, but his rebounding and presence in the paint is a silent game-changer for the teams he’s been in. And that’s exactly what Jaren Jackson Jr. emphasized when asked bout Adams’ recent trade from the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>Jackson spoke about how playing in a frontcourt alongside a center like Adams <a href="https://twitter.com/Matt_Infield/status/1753274197265031344" rel="noopener">opened up opportunities</a> for him offensively.</p><p>“He’s just a physical specimen they have to deal with,” Jackson said, via Action News 5’s Matt Infield. “Last year everyone was focused on him a lot so it allowed me to catch people off guard. He helped me in so many ways.”</p><p>Besides Adams’ physical capabilities, the Kiwi is also known as one of the most well-loved personalities in the locker room.</p><p>“Everybody loved him. It’s tough man, it’s tough,” Jackson added, pertaining to Adams’ trade <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-steven-adams-trade-grade-after-stunning-deal-with-grizzlies" rel="noopener">to the Houston Rockets</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jaren Jackson Jr. with a great answer on Steven Adams' impact.</p><p>Says he's watched video of Stevo on <a href="https://twitter.com/funakistats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@funakistats</a> over the years to learn things from his game and use it himself.</p><p>"He helped me in so many ways. Off the court, everybody loved him…it's tough man, it's tough." <a href="https://t.co/gAQjcAuvQV">pic.twitter.com/gAQjcAuvQV</a></p><p>— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) <a href="https://twitter.com/Matt_Infield/status/1753274197265031344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-paul-george-steven-adams-story-proves-hes-different" rel="noopener">Steven Adams may be</a> a brute on the court, but hearing all the stories told by his peers past and present, no one can deny the big man’s genuine personality. The Grizzlies will surely miss not just his rebounding and defensive presence, but the friendship he brought to his teammates as well.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. opens up about Steven Adams’ influence after vet’s trade to Rockets

<!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-steven-adams-trade-grade-after-stunning-deal-with-grizzlies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Steven Adams trade grade after stunning deal with Grizzlies');   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/2024/02/Rockets-Steven-Adams-trade-grade-after-stunning-deal-with-Grizzlies_50.webp"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Steven Adams trade grade after stunning deal with Grizzlies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-01T19:47:28-08:00">February 1st, 7:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-01T19:47:28-08:00">February 1st, 7:47pm</time><address><a>Jeremy Gretzer</a>Jeremy Gretzer joins ClutchPoints with a unique blend of experience in both the performing arts and sports journalism. A Houston native, Jeremy is happy to receive the opportunity as a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Rockets. During his tenure at Back Sports Page, he honed his skills in sports writing, social media, and reporting, gaining valuable experience and having the opportunity to interact with notable figures from the NBA during media day, various charity, and pro camps events. His approach is analytical yet accessible, ensuring dedicated fans and casual readers alike can appreciate his insights.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ahead of the February 8th trade deadline, the Houston Rockets have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-steven-adams-trade-rockets">made a bit of noise.</a> The Rockets on Thursday sent Victor Oladipo and three second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Steven Adams, according to reports.</p><p>Houston is finally offloading <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/how-the-rockets-can-utilize-victor-oladipos-9-4-million-contract" rel="noopener">Oladipo’s $9.4 million contract</a> as well as extra draft capital to the Grizzlies, who have written off this season as a loss due to myriad injuries suffered by the likes of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart, among others—including Brandon Clarke and Adams.</p><p>The veteran big man suffered a major knee injury around the midpoint of 2022-23, one of the main reasons why the Grizzlies fell short in last year’s playoffs. He was r<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-get-crushing-steven-adams-injury-update-as-2023-24-regular-season-dawns" rel="noopener">uled out for the season’s duration</a> shortly before it tipped off in late October, a surprise considering Adams appeared in a pair of exhibition games.</p><p>Shedding Adams’ salary and adding more second-round picks gives Memphis more flexibility for a pivotal offseason, but the team is now without a quality center on the roster. Originally, Jaren Jackson Jr. was the team’s power forward. Now he is playing center because Xavier Tillman is better suited in a reserve role and Clarke, also best utilized as a reserve spark plug, hasn’t played all season.</p><p>As the dust settles on their first move at the trade deadline, let’s grade the Rockets’ Steven Adams trade.</p><h2><b>Grading Rockets’ Steven Adams trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/1-trade-Houston-still-must-target-in-2023-NBA-offseason.jpg"></figure><p>Acquiring Adams suggests the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-must-pursue-malcolm-brogdon-trade-adding-robert-williams-iii-too-risky" rel="noopener">Rockets are not pursuing Robert Williams III</a>. They now have their injured big man in Adams, who is patiently waiting to play for the 2024-2025 season. This move indicates Houston is in no rush to jump into playoff contention. The season as a whole has been already a success. Tying last year’s win total of 22 games with 35 left to go is an extreme accomplishment.</p><p>As much as Rockets fans want their team to reach the playoffs this year, Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka are extremely confident in a young core that provides a winning window wide as a barn door. Many options for Houston are on the table. By acquiring Adams, the Rockets sacrificed some cap flexibility this summer to add a big who could make an impact on and off the floor next season or be traded again down the line as matching salary.</p><p>One great thing about this trade for Houston is the cheaper price tag. Even though Adams is out this year due to knee surgery, he is expected to return <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39438460/sources-grizzlies-sending-adams-houston-oladipo-picks">fully healthy next season</a>. Based on this decision, the Rockets’ front office believes him to be the quality backup big they’ve been searching for to play behind Alperen Sengun. When healthy, Adams is the prototype interior enforcer who can defend the rim, grab rebounds and be an effective partner in the pick-and-roll.</p><p>The 30-year-old veteran has averaged 9.2 points and 8.2 rebounds across his career, shooting 58.7% from the field. In his last two playable seasons, Adams averaged double-digit rebounds. This makes the Jock Landale signing age like fine wine, given his non-guaranteed contract conditions going forward.</p><p>Adams’ presence in the second unit will significantly enhance the Rockets’ defense. Imagine Adams, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. on the floor. Houston could dominate on the glass with all that size and physicality.</p><p>It’s hard to predict if Houston is finished making moves. Meanwhile, Ime Udoka recently confirmed what his team is looking for in trade targets.</p><p>“I think you look to improve in all those areas where you’re lacking,” he said. “Three-point shooting is one, versatility at the big spots is one. But, we mainly want to rely on what we have and get healthy, first, and see what this whole group looks like.”</p><p>If this rings true, then the Rockets could be just getting started. Acquiring a three-point shooter is the next step to b0lster Houston’s poor shooting performances beyond the arc. Expect Stone to make more noise with a week left before February 8th.</p><p><b>Grade: B+</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
3.6	5.2	1.0	0.4	0.3

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
3.6	5.2	1.0	0.4	0.3

Steven Adams news

Steven
Adams news