5 QUESTIONS FOR ELVIN HAYES
Hall of famer Elvin Hayes weighs in on Rockets-Thunder, NBA playoffs
Aug 13, 2020, 11:30 am
Composite photo by Jack Brame
I had a chance to connect with basketball royalty, "Big E" Elvin Hayes. 12x NBA All Star, NBA HOF, and NBA Champion.
SportsMap: What grade to you give commissioner Adam Silver in his handling of the pandemic/creation of the bubble?
Elvin Hayes: I think he has done an excellent job of getting basketball back where it needs to be. I'd give him an A. He gets a 10 out of 10 in my book.
SM: Would you have adapted to the bubble as a player ? Would you have thrived with it being the same court, same atmosphere each night, etc?
EH: No I wouldn't have. I think that is a very difficult situation for teams playing in one place. I wouldn't have been successful in that situation. I preferred going city to city. To me, it's more like a scrimmage than a game.
SM: There's a cloud of uncertainty with Russell Westbrook. Realistically how far can the Rockets go if he's limited?
EH: Houston can't go far without Russ. He's come in and taken them to another level. Without Westbrook, the Rockets will be really hurting.
SM: So for the first round matchup vs. the Thunder, these teams know each other really well. Does Chris Paul control the tempo of that series, or does James Harden rule the day?
EH: I'm a big fan of CP3. Chris has a very positive effect with Oklahoma and I've seen him this regular season elevate his teammates to play better. OKC has defeated Houston in the past because of Chris Paul. He's the key to that series. He's a floor general. James is a great player, but Chris guides that OKC team and will give the Rockets a hard time.
SM: Who do you think wins the NBA Title?
EH: Milwaukee. This will usher in the Giannis era of basketball.
The Houston Astros head to Camden Yards on Thursday looking to snap a four-game skid as they face the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth matchup of the season. After being outscored by 37 runs in their last 10 games, Houston is hoping to regain the offensive spark that carried them through much of the season. Jeremy Peña has been a bright spot, batting .310 with 21 doubles and 13 home runs, while Carlos Correa has contributed a hot streak recently, going 11-for-37 with a home run and four RBIs over his last 10 games.
On the mound, the Astros will turn to Jason Alexander (3-1, 4.74 ERA), who has shown flashes of effectiveness but will need to limit the long ball against a Baltimore squad that thrives when opponents fail to homer. Brandon Young (1-6, 5.68 ERA) takes the hill for the Orioles, who are 27-14 this season in games when they haven’t allowed a home run. Gunnar Henderson leads the Orioles offensively with a .281 average, 29 doubles, and 15 homers, while Ryan Mountcastle has added some recent firepower, going 12-for-39 with two home runs over the last 10 games.
Baltimore comes in 6-4 over its last 10 with a 2.48 ERA, outscoring opponents by 15 runs, while Houston is 4-6 over the same span with a .193 team batting average and 5.92 ERA.
A win in Camden Yards could be exactly what Houston needs to stabilize its lineup and pitching staff.
Betting odds
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Orioles -112, Astros -107; over/under is 9 runs
Roster Moves
Houston announced four roster moves on Thursday. Taylor Trammell heads to the IL, Brice Matthews has been recalled, JP France completed his rehab and heads to Sugar Land, and Jordan Weems will go to Triple A as well.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/3oGiqmbzmk
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 21, 2025
Astros lineup
The first thing we notice is that Cam Smith is getting the night off. Espada appears to be shaking things up by not having two slumping players (Jesus Sanchez & Smith) in the lineup at the same time.
There's nothing new with the top 3 hitters, except Altuve will play second base. Christian Walker (1B) will hit cleanup, followed by the slumping Sanchez (RF), Yainer Diaz (DH), Victor Caratini (C), Mauricio Dubon (LF), and Jacob Melton (CF).
📍: BAL
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— Houston Astros (@astros) August 21, 2025
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