<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-steven-adams-back-to-back-problem-could-be-biggest-kryptonite');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steven Adams’ back-to-back problem could be Rockets’ biggest kryptonite this season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Steven-Adam.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Steven Adams’ back-to-back problem could be Rockets’ biggest kryptonite this season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T10:38:22-08:00">December 9th, 10:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T10:38:22-08:00">December 9th, 10:38am</time><address><a>Luke Mauro</a>Luke Mauro is a sports journalist based in Houston who covers the Rockets for ClutchPoints. Luke has covered sports for nearly two decades, including the Rockets for the last three years. His life consists of sports, music and Seinfeld.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>At 15-6, the Houston Rockets are off to their best start in eight seasons. But as super as it has been, their kryptonite has emerged: navigating the second night <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-about-steven-adams-presence">of a back-to-back without Steven Adams</a>.</p><p>Houston became the final team in the NBA to play a back-to-back, doing so for the first time on Dec. 1. And so far, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/3-major-concerns-rockets-1st-back-to-back">the Rockets have dropped both games when playing on no rest</a>. First to the Utah Jazz, then Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks, two current non-playoff teams with fewer than 10 wins apiece.</p><p>The problem for Houston? Adams isn’t in the rotation for those games. The Rockets are intentionally holding him out on the second night of back-to-backs.</p><p>And in those games, Houston has struggled across the board. Their defense hasn’t been nearly as sharp (including surrendering a season-high in points to Utah). Their rebounding, typically the best in the league with Adams, has slipped noticeably. And on offense, the absence of Adam’s screening is felt when trying to create opportunities without a true point guard.</p><p>Despite these early warning signs, the Rockets don’t plan to deviate from their approach just yet.</p><h2><b>Ime Udoka won’t change Steven Adams plan yet</b></h2><p>When asked about Adams’ availability, head coach Ime Udoka said that this remains the plan “for now.”</p><p>Adams is 32 and now two years removed from the knee injury that cost him his entire first season in Houston, and eight years removed from playing a full campaign.</p><p>The Rockets are managing his workload with the postseason in mind, prioritizing the 16-game playoff schedule over the 82-game regular season grind.</p><p>Still, Houston must ensure it reaches the postseason in a strong position. Even with only two back-to-backs played, the Rockets sit just percentage points away from the No. 5 seed in a deep Western Conference.</p><p>As the schedule toughens, how well will the Rockets be able to hold off the teams behind them? Houston has 12 more back-to-backs in their remaining 58 games. Add in the fact that their star, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/kevin-durant-still-buckets-37-warning-signs">Kevin Durant, is already 37 years old and will also need to limit his minutes</a> at some point, as well. Which further shrinks the margin for error.</p><p>Houston’s next back-to-back includes the Denver Nuggets in a huge game later this month, followed by the Sacramento Kings, which suddenly becomes a tougher matchup without Adams.</p><p>Udoka’s team is very good at winning with their distinctive brand of basketball: slower pace, limited three-pointers, and the best rebounding attack in the league. But can Houston win when required to play a different way? Such as when Adams is unavailable, and their rebounding advantage disappears.</p><p>At some point, the Rockets will run into a tough matchup, or a team that has solved their style, especially over a long playoff series. To win a title, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/houston-rockets-strong-start-doesnt-guarantee-contenders">Houston will need a reliable change-up</a>. And, so far, they haven’t found one just yet.</p><p>Right now, the Rockets go the way of Adams. But with Adams slated to sit at least 12 more games in a tight Western Conference race, Houston must find an answer to their one glaring kryptonite.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-about-steven-adams-presence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets Alperen Sengun gets real about Steven Adams’ presence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Alperen-Sengun-hugging-Steven-Adams.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets Alperen Sengun gets real about Steven Adams’ presence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-04T08:04:02-08:00">December 4th, 8:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-04T08:04:02-08:00">December 4th, 8:04am</time><address><a>Jayesh Pagar</a>Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content, delivering in-depth analysis and breaking news coverage across multiple platforms.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun is having a career year, averaging 22.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while helping his team secure a 14-5 record. The 23-year-old has emerged as one of the league’s most complete centers this season, recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-historic-stat-line-wasted-loss-jazz">putting up a historic stat line against the Utah Jazz</a>.</p><p>During a recent press conference, the Turkish big man <a href="https://x.com/mshap2/status/1996441232982290878" rel="noopener">shared his thoughts</a> on what makes veteran Steven Adams so valuable to the Rockets.</p><p>“Man, he’s a monster. I’m the center of this team, and any center in the league wouldn’t be happy signing another good center, you feel me? This summer, when they signed Steven, I was so happy,” Sengun said, via Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated.</p><p>The appreciation runs deeper than just basketball skills. Adams brings a unique energy and toughness that have transformed Houston’s identity this season.</p><p>“Playing with him and bringing that toughness on this team, talking, everything. He’s such a funny guy, talks to everybody, leading us, been fighting under that ring,” Sengun said. “He’s huge for us, and he’s healthy now. He had surgery last year, I would say he kind of missed half of the season, but now he’s better than ever.”</p><p>His work ethic sets the standard for Houston’s roster, with the 32-year-old veteran consistently putting in extra time in the gym.</p><p>“He’s putting the work every day, you can see him in the gym every day. That’s some of the ways you can lead the team,” Sengun said. “You see a 32-year-old man out there working every day, that pushes everybody else too.”</p><p>Adams’ constant communication on the court keeps Houston organized on both ends of the floor, while his vocal leadership has been crucial to their success.</p><p>“When it comes to the court, he just talks all the time, and that’s helped us a lot. He’s a huge person,” Sengun said.</p><p>Adams leads the NBA in offensive rebounding this season. Houston ranks first in the league in offensive boards, creating second-chance opportunities that fuel their high-powered attack. His work on the glass has been central to that effort, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/kevin-durant-grateful-how-fueling-rockets-historic-start">helping the Rockets achieve their best start in years</a>.</p><p>After missing significant time last season due to surgery, the 32-year-old is back to full strength. The pairing of Sengun and Adams in the frontcourt has given the Rockets one of the most effective big man rotations in basketball.</p><p>Houston sits third in the Western Conference standings with championship aspirations. The combination of Sengun’s skill and Adams’ grit has been a major part of their strong start to the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets Alperen Sengun gets real about Steven Adams’ presence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-steven-adams-injury-report-nba-cup-showdown-nuggets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams on injury report for NBA Cup showdown vs. Nuggets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams on injury report for NBA Cup showdown vs. Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-21T07:24:53-08:00">November 21st, 7:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-21T07:24:53-08:00">November 21st, 7:24am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-nba-cup-injury-update-wemby-spurs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets news: Steven Adams’ NBA Cup injury update isn’t a welcome sign vs. Wemby, Spurs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Steven-Adams-during-Rockets-game-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets news: Steven Adams’ NBA Cup injury update isn’t a welcome sign vs. Wemby, Spurs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-07T08:07:22-08:00">November 7th, 8:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-07T08:07:22-08:00">November 7th, 8:07am</time><address><a>Rishabh Bhatnagar</a>Rishabh is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/houston-rockets-2025-nba-free-agency-grade-for-every-signing">Houston Rockets opened the 2025-26 campaign with two straight losses</a>, but have since won five games on the trot to go 5-2 for the season thus far. The streak has continued despite the limited availability of Steven Adams, who sat out the game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to tightness in his Left Hip Flexor.</p><p>Now, the Rockets are set to take on none other than the San Antonio Spurs in their first NBA Cup tie of the season. And considering the Rockets’ recent form and the fact that Adams is only questionable for the game as per the NBA’s <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2025-11-07_12AM.pdf" rel="noopener">official injury report</a>, the Spurs may have a problem on their hands.</p><p>Adams’ absence against the Grizzlies marked his first missed game of the season, and the Rockets are choosing a cautious approach given his long injury history and physical playing style. That suggests that the Spurs, who are looking to recover after back-to-back losses against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, may get to try in the absence of Adams once again.</p><p>After missing the 2023–24 season and appearing in only 58 games last year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-player-danger-losing-starting-job-2025-26-training-camp">Adams entered this campaign on a closely managed workload</a> to preserve long-term health. The 32-year-old still played a part in the Rockets finishing 2nd in the West last season and is once again expected to play a major role with his team expected to compete for the championship this time around.</p><p>His production has been impactful in short bursts. Despite averaging 22.5 minutes per appearance, he has produced 9.5 rebounds and an NBA-best 5.0 offensive boards per game thus far.</p><p>The Adams–Alperen Şengün frontcourt pairing has fueled one of the league’s top rebounding units. That becomes even more important against the Spurs, who have in Victor Wembanyama an interior presence that casually dominates games.</p><p>However, the Spurs will know they have a challenge on their hands even with Adams out. If Adams remains out, Clint Capela is expected to assume the backup center role, with Tari Eason likely to absorb additional frontcourt minutes behind Şengün.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-rookies-wild-reaction-finding-insanely-strong-steven-adams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors rookie has wild reaction to finding out how ‘insanely strong’ Steven Adams is');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/CMB.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors rookie has wild reaction to finding out how ‘insanely strong’ Steven Adams is</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-30T06:06:48-07:00">October 30th, 6:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-30T06:06:48-07:00">October 30th, 6:06am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-collin-murray-boyles-nba-debut-injury-toronto-mavericks">Collin Murray-Boyles got his first career start</a> against the Houston Rockets and an unforgettable introduction to NBA physicality courtesy of Steven Adams. After the game, the 20-year-old forward couldn’t help but laugh at what it felt like to go toe-to-toe with one of the <a href="https://x.com/JLew1050/status/1983706422039949477" rel="noopener">league’s most powerful big men.</a></p><p>“He’s insanely strong. My wrists are sore right now, trying to box him out and tussle with him,” Murray-Boyles said postgame. “His strength is… I didn’t think it was like that. I was asking him what his routine is during the game. It’s insane.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles laughing about what it was like trying to guard Rockets big man Steven Adams:</p><p>“He’s insanely strong. My wrist are sore right now trying to bo him out… I was asking him what’s his routine mid game.” <a href="https://t.co/FUBr3XjO39">pic.twitter.com/FUBr3XjO39</a></p><p>— Toronto Star Sports (@StarSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSports/status/1983707718180536805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Raptors’ rookie, who scored 13 points in his debut start filling in for Jakob Poeltl (sore back), had the unenviable task of trying to contain Adams on the glass. The veteran center helped <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-darko-rajakovic-points-to-rockets-game-disaster-that-left-toronto-punked">Houston dominate Toronto 53-22 on the boards</a>, including a staggering 17 offensive rebounds, in a 121-103 loss that extended the Raptors’ losing streak to four games.</p><p>Despite Toronto shooting an impressive 21-for-40 from three-point range, their rebounding issues were too glaring to overcome. Adams, true to his reputation, muscled through box-outs and set bone-jarring screens that left the young Raptor both bruised and impressed.</p><p>“Steven’s been doing this forever, man,” said teammate Scottie Barnes, who led the Raptors with 31 points. “You can’t teach that kind of strength. He moves people.”</p><p>Murray-Boyles’ comments quickly went viral, with fans loving the honesty and awe in his tone. For a rookie getting his first true test of NBA toughness, it was as humbling as it was motivating.</p><p>Toronto, now 1-4 after dropping all three of its games against Texas opponents (Dallas, San Antonio, Houston), will look to bounce back when it visits Cleveland on Friday. And as for Murray-Boyles, he’s taking the bruises in stride.</p><p>“I learned a lot tonight,” he said with a smile. “Next time, maybe I’ll bring wrist wraps.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-steven-adams-double-big-man-starting-lineup-vs-thunder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets starting Alperen Sengun-Steven Adams double big lineup vs. Thunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Alperen-Sengun-hugging-Steven-Adams.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets starting Alperen Sengun-Steven Adams double big lineup vs. Thunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-20T10:54:26-07:00">October 20th, 10:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-20T10:54:26-07:00">October 20th, 10:54am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets are about to roll out one of the <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1980322799865721118" rel="noopener">tallest, lengthiest starting lineups</a> in NBA history when they begin the 2025-26 NBA season on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>Without Fred VanVleet entering the new season at the point guard spot, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is committing to his big guys and rolling out a <a href="https://x.com/SportsVanessa/status/1980320769768079536" rel="noopener">starting five</a> that will include Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, and Steven Adams to combat the Thunder’s length, according to Houston sideline reporter Vanessa Richardson.</p><p>This lineup not only features five players who are all 6’7″ or taller, but each of the five Rockets starters possesses a wingspan of at least 7’0″. Durant and Adams each have a 7’5″ wingspan, and everyone but Thompson is labeled as 6’11” despite the belief that Durant and Smith are taller than their listed heights.</p><p>Over the last few seasons, many NBA teams have been adapting to the times and adding a second center to their main rotation.</p><p>We saw the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-starting-lineup-change-teased-after-game-4-loss-warriors">Rockets have success doing this</a> at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season and in the playoffs against a smaller team like the Golden State Warriors, and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-unheralded-thunder-star-major-praise-lebron-james-kevin-durant">Thunder recently won a championship</a> with lineups that featured both Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein together in the frontcourt.</p><p>The era of small-ball is no more, as many teams are beginning to put an emphasis on rebounding and having multiple bigs play in the same lineup to create havoc for their opponents.</p><p>Although many are questioning the Rockets’ lineup and their ability to shoot from the perimeter, Udoka has made it clear he wants to see his team attack the offensive glass. The Rockets ranked first in offensive rebounding during the 2024-25 season, and they will once again be crashing the glass from the first game of the season in Oklahoma City.</p><p>What makes this starting rotation for Udoka and the 2025-26 Rockets so special is that it’s one of the largest in NBA history.</p><p>The Denver Nuggets <a href="https://x.com/WorldWideWob/status/1980324052997927350" rel="noopener">rolled out a lineup</a> consisting of Nikola Jokic (6’11”), Jerami Grant (6’8″), Bol Bol (7’2″), Paul Millsap (6’7″), and Mason Plumlee (6’11”) in the 2020 NBA Bubble that had a combined height of 411 inches.</p><p>This Rockets lineup of Thompson, Durant, Smith, Sengun, and Adams has a combined height of 411 inches.</p><p>While it is not confirmed, the <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1980326969599246574" rel="noopener">presumed largest starting lineup</a> in NBA history belongs to the 1998-99 Dallas Mavericks, who had a total height of 413 inches in their starting lineup with Shawn Bradley, Dirk Nowitzki, Christian Laettner, Michael Finley, and Hubert Davis.</p><p>These five played together during the <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199905040SEA.html" rel="noopener">final game</a> of the 1998-99 season, which was only 50 games because of the lockout.</p><p>No matter which team had the tallest starting lineup, the fact of the matter is that this Rockets’ lineup has length, size, and will be extremely hard to score against.</p><p>Houston begins the 2025-26 NBA season attempting to play the role of spoilers when the Thunder receive their championship rings on Tuesday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets starting Alperen Sengun-Steven Adams double big lineup vs. Thunder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-story-kevin-durant-fishing');   ga('set', 'title', 'You need to hear Steven Adams’ story about Kevin Durant catching a big fish');   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/2025/09/Rockets-All-Star-Kevin-Durant1.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>You need to hear Steven Adams’ story about Kevin Durant catching a big fish</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-30T09:11:22-07:00">September 30th, 9:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-30T09:11:22-07:00">September 30th, 9:11am</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There is no denying that Kevin Durant is one of the most talented players to ever grace the NBA. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-confirms-houston-contract-extension">For the Houston Rockets, Durant is set to play</a> alongside a familiar face in Steven Adams, as the two spent three seasons together with the Oklahoma City Thunder as well.</p><p>Their camaraderie was not only on show at the Rockets’ Media Day, but also during the offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-admits-what-upset-him-suns-putting-him-trade-market">After being traded to Houston in late June, Durant</a> and Adams went on a fishing trip in September, where the former Warriors player bagged a giant yellowfin tuna. Adams not only posted images from the trip on Instagram, <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rockets/article/kevin-durant-steven-adams-fishing-teammate-21073763.php" rel="noopener">but also praised</a> Durant’s fishing skills.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kevin Durant and Steven Adams went fishing together 🎣</p><p>(via stevenadams/IG) <a href="https://t.co/G0obcWxINH">pic.twitter.com/G0obcWxINH</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1969201610241855492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“It was pretty good, eh? He did pretty well, man. It was a pretty big fish. It was about seven minutes of him freaking trying to reel it in. It was a pretty good battle, but he got tired, bro. I had to sub in a little bit. But, yeah, he managed to land it, so he’s good,” Adams explained on Media Day, via Houston Chronicle.</p><p>The 32-year-old was visibly proud of Durant, claiming that the 15-time All-Star hardly showed emotion despite the major catch.</p><p>“Bro, I’m there freaking, ‘Ahhhh!’ Like we just won a freaking championship, ‘Ahhhh!’ And he’s just like, ‘It’s cool.’ Alright, dude,” Adams explained.</p><p>Adams revealed that it was Durant’s first catch in almost a decade. He last caught something back during his OKC Thunder days when the two would go to team owner Clay Bennett’s property to fish in his fully stocked lake. And while Adams believes it is an “American thing” to fill up a lake with fish artificially, like “a big goldfish tank,” he only had good things to say about Durant from back then as well.</p><p>“He was cool, bro. Solid dude, good teammate. He wasn’t a d**k or anything. He was a good man, bro,” Adams said.</p><p>Needless to say, with the two being reunited after years and considering Adams’ palpable love for fishing, he might as well end up posting further images of Durant showing off his catches in the coming time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

You need to hear Steven Adams’ story about Kevin Durant catching a big fish

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-agrees-39-million-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets, Steven Adams agree to $39 million contract extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Steven-Adams-during-Rockets-game-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets, Steven Adams agree to $39 million contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-14T11:43:27-07:00">June 14th, 11:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-14T12:21:44-07:00">June 14th, 12:21pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After spending a year and a half on the sidelines with a knee injury, it was unclear if veteran center Steven Adams would ever make a meaningful impact in the NBA again. He decisively answered those questions while helping the Houston Rockets grab the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season. He is now reaping the rewards of those stalwart efforts, courtesy of a three-year, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1933954097821974734" rel="noopener">$39 million contract extension</a>, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>The Rockets are moving with purpose, making a swift deal ahead of what many expect to be a highly active summer in Space City. While a $13 million average annual salary admittedly seems expensive for a player who logged 13.7 minutes per game during the regular season, those who watched the playoffs are fully aware of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-explanation-massive-game-6-impact-warriors">noticeable impact Adams still provides</a> inside.</p><p>If not for the 31-year-old big man, Houston would not have pushed the Golden State Warriors to a Game 7 in the opening round of the postseason. He averaged 5.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 block in 22.1 minutes per contest during the series.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-rumors-houston-backup-target-steven-adams">The Rockets were considering alternative options</a> at the backup center position, with 2021 NBA champion and former All-Star Brook Lopez sitting atop that list, but they clearly covet the defensive toughness that Adams brings to this squad. A successful youth movement cannot take shape without valuable veterans lending a helping hand. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso proves as much. Houston is trying to follow in OKC’s footsteps by retaining one of its most experienced members.</p><p>This season was about breaking through and ending a five-year playoffs drought. During the 2025-26 campaign, the Rockets will look to establish themselves as an undeniable contender in an always loaded Western Conference. Re-signing Steven Adams may just be the first step they take toward achieving that goal.</p><p>All eyes are on this revitalized franchise as a potentially historic offseason lies ahead.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets, Steven Adams agree to $39 million contract extension

<!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-rumors-houston-backup-target-steven-adams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets rumors: Houston’s backup target if ‘priority’ Steven Adams leaves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_1614.jpeg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets rumors: Houston’s backup target if ‘priority’ Steven Adams leaves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-03T09:30:15-07:00">June 3rd, 9:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-03T09:30:15-07:00">June 3rd, 9:30am</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets head into the 2025 offseason looking to continue their ascent in the Western Conference. Following their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/rockets-news-ime-udoka-drops-blunt-take-game-7-loss-warriors">early exit in the opening round</a> of the NBA Playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, the focus is continuing to build towards being a contender. That includes addressing the Rockets’ own players, such as Steven Adams, once the free agency period rolls around.</p><p>Steven Adams is reportedly the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6396071/2025/06/03/rockets-steven-adams-giannis-antetokounmpo-nba-draft/" rel="noopener">top priority in the offseason</a> in terms of the Rockets internal free agency options, as per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. But Iko reports that if Adams should opt to sign elsewhere in free agency, the Rockets could turn their attention to another two-way caliber big man.</p><p>“If Adams leaves, team sources said the Rockets could reignite their interest in Brook Lopez,” Iko reports. “The 37-year-old, who averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game shooting 37 percent from 3 in Milwaukee last season, was previously a target for Houston and would theoretically be a fit, given his two-way production and health.”</p><p>Following <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-explanation-massive-game-6-impact-warriors">Adams’ strong showing the playoffs</a>, the veteran center is sure to draw interest on the free agent market from opposing teams. In the Rockets’ seven playoff games, Adams averaged 5.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots while shooting 60 percent from the field. He would be a solid addition for any team looking to add frontcourt depth.</p><p>But per Iko, the Rockets are heading into the offseason working under the assumption that Adams has strong interest in re-signing with the team.</p><p>But in the event that Adams does depart in the offseason, Brook Lopez would not be a bad replacement for the Rockets. The former lottery pick has transitioned into becoming one of the top stretch-bigs in the NBA. His overall numbers took a hit in the playoffs during the Bucks’ opening round exit against the Indiana Pacers.</p><p>But during the regular season, Lopez shot 37.3 percent from the three-point line and 50.9 percent overall. He put up 13.0 points, which is close to his career average of 15.9. In more of a backup role with the Rockets, Lopez could thrive.</p><p>In any case, it’s going to be an important offseason for the Rockets if they wish to mold themselves into a West contender.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets rumors: Houston’s backup target if ‘priority’ Steven Adams leaves

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-explanation-massive-game-6-impact-warriors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steven Adams’ simple Rockets explanation for massive Game 6 impact vs. Warriors');   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/2025/05/Rockets-Steven-Adams-guards-Stephen-Curry.jpg"><figcaption>© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Steven Adams’ simple Rockets explanation for massive Game 6 impact vs. Warriors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-03T07:02:49-07:00">May 3rd, 7:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-03T07:36:32-07:00">May 3rd, 7:36am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets big man Steven Adams hustled on both ends of the floor, as his team got a massive win Friday over the Golden State Warriors. Houston defeated Golden State in Game 6 of their playoff series, 115-107. Following the game, Adams <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1918526848926970255" rel="noopener">had a simple response</a> to why he had such a strong performance.</p><p>“I just follow the game plan, bro,” Adams told reporters afterward. “The defensive game plan. Read, communicate.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I just follow the game plan, bro."</p><p>Rockets big man Steven Adams kept it simple on his impact in Game 6 😅</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNNBA</a>)<a href="https://t.co/Ruo2BKnF4X">pic.twitter.com/Ruo2BKnF4X</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1918526848926970255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Adams finished the contest with 17 points. He also grabbed five rebounds in 31 minutes of action.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/rockets-news-drop-savage-tari-eason-meme-game-6-win-warriors">The Rockets have forced Game 7 in this series</a> by winning back-to-back contests. Houston was paced by Fred VanVleet on Friday, who poured in 29 points in the win.</p><p>Houston and Golden State play for all the marbles on Sunday. The winner advances in the postseason to the next NBA Playoff series.</p><h2><b>The Rockets have the momentum against the Warriors</b></h2><p>The Rockets seemed like they were left for dead after falling behind 3-1 in this series. Houston lost some close games by not being able to hit free throws.</p><p>In Game 5, the Rockets looked sharp on offense to battle back with a powerful 131-point performance. Then in Game 6, things looked even brighter. Houston hit 72 percent of their free throws, and the Rockets won a very close and tough battle.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/warriors-news-golden-state-melts-down-4th-quarter-rockets-game-7">The Rockets relied heavily on defense</a> to close out the game. Adams and other Houston players forced the Warriors to shoot off-balance in several possessions in the fourth quarter. The Warriors missed 14 of their first 15 <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44976105/rockets-too-much-warriors-late-stay-alive-game-6-win" rel="noopener">fourth-quarter shots</a>, per ESPN.</p><p>Rockets star Fred VanVleet said he and the team were just poised and ready.</p><p>“You work all year and train all summer for these moments, and I’ve always prided myself on trying to rise to the occasion,” he said. “I’ve taken a different role for this team over the last two years and just trying to squeeze as much juice out of this group as possible. I’m ready and willing when the time comes to step up and make big plays.”</p><p>Houston and Golden State play their pivotal Game 7 Sunday at 8:30 ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steven Adams’ simple Rockets explanation for massive Game 6 impact vs. Warriors

<!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-fred-vanvleet-gives-steven-adams-a-wild-compliment-after-game-6-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Fred VanVleet gives Steven Adams a wild compliment after Game 6 win');   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/2025/05/Rockets-center-Steven-Adams-12-dunks.jpg"><figcaption>© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Fred VanVleet gives Steven Adams a wild compliment after Game 6 win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-02T22:12:48-07:00">May 2nd, 10:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-02T22:12:48-07:00">May 2nd, 10:12pm</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>Houston Rockets big man Steven Adams has emerged as a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-golden-state-melts-down-4th-quarter-rockets-game-7">major thorn in the Golden State Warriors’ side</a> during their first-round matchup in the 2025 NBA playoffs. Adams continues to provide a world of difference for the Rockets, with his mere presence on the floor being a huge threat to the Warriors’ small-ball approach. On Friday night, with the Rockets’ backs against the wall in Game 6 against the Warriors, Adams was a +15 off the bench in a 115-107 victory.</p><p>Simply put, Adams is proving himself to be a difference-maker for the Rockets, prompting Fred VanVleet, who has come alive over the past three games, to <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1918516094010040474" rel="noopener">shower him with some wild praise</a>.</p><p>“He’s the ultimate man. He’s just an enforcer down there. He’s like a big caveman in this era of small basketball. An old big just roughing everybody up. He’s impacted us on another level, a historical level honestly. Made his free throws tonight. We’re gonna play him until he dies out there,” VanVleet said in his postgame interview with ESPN SportsCenter’s Scott Van Pelt.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"He's like a big caveman in this era of small basketball. An old big just roughing everybody up. … We're gonna play him until he dies out there."</p><p>Rockets guard Fred VanVleet to Scott Van Pelt on Steven Adams 😂<a href="https://t.co/lO80SPUGF0">pic.twitter.com/lO80SPUGF0</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1918516094010040474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Adams is causing major problems for the Warriors on the interior on both ends of the floor; not exactly known as a premier shot-blocker in the NBA, the Rockets veteran swatted three shots in an elimination game and was a bruising presence on the glass, allowing Houston to control the paint game on both ends of the floor. Not a big time scorer, Adams scored 17 points in Game 6 (he hasn’t scored that many points in the playoffs in nearly five years).</p><p>It’s quite impressive to see how <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-two-year-journey-overcome-injury-struggles">Adams has managed to bounce all the way back from a serious knee injury</a> that forced him to miss the entirety of the 2023-24 season. He looks to be as spry as ever, and the Rockets have managed to force a Game 7 thanks in large part to the way he’s able to survive in today’s NBA despite having the skillset of a throwback big man, as VanVleet hilariously alluded to.</p><h2><b>Steven Adams is such a perfect fit for this Rockets team</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Draymond-Green-1.jpg"><figcaption>Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Steven Adams, like most other traditional big men, struggle to guard the perimeter. But this Rockets team provides so much cover for him on that end of the floor, and it helps that Adams is able to sag off of a Warriors non-shooter, such as Draymond Green.</p><p>While Adams is deservedly getting plenty of credit for his impact for the Rockets this series (Houston is a +53 during his minutes for this series and is a +46 over the past three games), the veteran big man said that <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1918523883545559421" rel="noopener">he is simply doing</a> what the coaches are asking of him.</p><p>“What difference do I make? I’m not sure. I just follow the game plan bro. Defensive game plan, we communicate,” Adams said in his postgame presser, via the official NBA account on X (formerly Twitter).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I just follow the game plan, bro."</p><p>Steven Adams on the difference he made during the game 😅 <a href="https://t.co/y0gsZq6Ngh">pic.twitter.com/y0gsZq6Ngh</a></p><p>— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1918523883545559421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Fred VanVleet gives Steven Adams a wild compliment after Game 6 win

<!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/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-jimmy-butler-steven-adams-key-game-winning-rebound');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Jimmy Butler reveals Steven Adams key to game-winning rebound');   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/2025/04/Warriors-forward-Draymond-Green-celebrates-with-forward-Jimmy-Butler.jpg"><figcaption>Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Warriors’ Jimmy Butler reveals Steven Adams key to game-winning rebound</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-29T07:33:51-07:00">April 29th, 7:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-29T09:40:20-07:00">April 29th, 9:40am</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">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jimmy Butler just had <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-jimmy-butler-buddy-hield-battle-continues-game-4-rockets-heroics">one of his most memorable games in a Golden State Warriors uniform</a> on Monday night at Chase Center in San Francisco. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-jimmy-butler-gets-brutally-honest-on-good-pain-he-feels-after-injury-return">Coming back from a one-game absence</a> because of a pelvis injury, Butler helped the Dubs pull off a 109-106 win in Game 4 of the series against the Houston Rockets.</p><p>Butler had several notable moments in that contest, including his huge makes from the foul line near the end of regulation and the huge defensive rebound following a crucial miss by Rockets star big man Alperen Sengun with four seconds left in the fourth quarter.</p><p>Trailing the Warriors by a point with 13 seconds in the contest, the Warriors got the ball to Sengun. It looked as though the Rockets were trying to make Gary Payton II switch to Sengun for a mismatch, but the Warriors successfully denied that attempt, leaving Sengun on an island with former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green, who did what he always does best and forced a miss.</p><p>Butler then came flying in for the game-saving rebound before getting fouled. He would make both free throws off that foul to put the Warriors up by three, with Houston failing to force overtime as time in the final quarter expired.</p><p>After the game, Butler provided an insight on <a href="https://x.com/957thegame/status/1917107152596177041" rel="noopener">how his rebound came about</a> despite the presence of Rockets veteran center Steven Adams in the contest.</p><p>“I saw that I wasn’t battling with Steven Adams in the last play, Butler said in the postgame press conference (h/t 95.7 The Game). “So I was able to go up there. But I wanted to rebound, I told Dray [Green], if you get a stop, I will get the rebound. And he got the stop, and I got the rebound.”</p><p>Butler was all over the final minutes of Game 4. He scored nine of Golden State’s final 12 points. Overall, he had 27 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field while making all his 12 attempts from the charity stripe, grabbing five boards and dishing out six assists in 40 minutes of action. His ability to contribute at a high level on both ends of the floor has proven to be a big plus for the Warriors, who can send the Rockets home as soon as Game 5 on Wednesday in Houston.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Jimmy Butler reveals Steven Adams key to game-winning rebound

<!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>

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

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

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