ROCKETS REACTION

The injury bug, PJ Tucker's absence, and Kevin Porter Jr's impressive debut

In the words of Victor Oladipo, "The whole year has been a whirlwind", which is correct. The Houston Rockets have suffered from James Harden's departure, injuries, and the lack of chemistry. Coach Silas mentioned that the season has suffered because of those components. It was said that PJ Tucker is frustrated with not playing with another competitor. Tucker ended up leaving Sacramento mid-game because of the situation.

"We're going to try to figure out something that works for him and works for us as far as him not being on the team anymore. I was under the assumption that he was going to play tonight, and he didn't play. That was disappointing," Coach Silas said. "He decided that he was just not really with it, and we decided that that's a good idea. Let's move on."

Speaking of injuries, Eric Gordon scored 17 points in the first half but then hurt his groin. Gordon did not return. Before the game started, it was announced John Wall got dinged up after bumping knees with another player during Wednesday's practice. One positive note, Christian Wood has become healthier and participated in Wednesday's practice. He still didn't play against the Sacramento Kings for precautionary reasons. It became a scary sight when Kevin Porter Jr. almost injured his knee during the game. Hopefully, the Rockets can avoid the injury bug for the rest of the season, as they only have eight players to deploy versus the Utah Jazz Friday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. had a nice debut

Porter had an impressive night because of his playmaking ability. He was able to create a double-double for himself. Kevin finished Thursday night's game with 13 points and 10 assists, including three steals and one block. He shot 45 percent from the field versus the Kings. Porter showed active hands in the passing lanes, which made him dangerous in transition. He was able to find his teammates on fast breaks, and showed the ability to create for himself.

Porter is slowly getting comfortable inside the Rockets' offense. He is showing aggression and discipline when running the offensive sets for the Rockets, which is impressive. That allows Porter to find his teammates for open opportunities, which allows the game to become easier for him. Porter's game will continue to get better because of the support system on the Rockets' coaching staff.

Hopefully, the Rockets can get healthy and lineup some trades before the deadline. That should be their focus moving forward.

Next up: The Rockets head to Utah to play the Jazz on Friday night.

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