Houston Rockets open NBA Cup play against Dallas but more focused on managing injuries

The Houston Rockets are set to face the Dallas Mavericks in their first NBA Cup game on Friday at the American Airlines Center. The Rockets belong to Group A, alongside the Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz. Each team in the group will play against the others, with the top team and two wild cards advancing to the knockout rounds.

Coach Ime Udoka emphasized that the in-season tournament provides an extra motivation for the team, but primarily, he wants the 5-0 Rockets to maintain their excellent performance. The team has previously qualified for the knockout round once during Udoka's tenure, reaching the semifinals in his second season before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Coming into the game, the Rockets will have Fred VanVleet in their starting lineup. The veteran guard, recovering from a torn ACL, will only play half of the Rockets' back-to-back games, meaning he will almost certainly miss the Saturday night matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Toyota Center. If the Rockets were fully healthy, Udoka might stagger VanVleet and Steven Adams across the halves of back-to-back games depending on the matchups.

However, the team is not healthy, with Adams out with a right calf strain, starting center Alperen Şengün and Reed Sheppard sidelined with lower back soreness. Marcus Smart, who was questionable with a left forearm strain, will play against Dallas.

The uncertainty of Smart's and Sheppard's availability led Udoka to choose VanVleet as the starter for the Mavericks game. Recently, the Rockets picked up Reed Sheppard's contract option for the upcoming season, a move that secures the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft under the guard's contract through the 2027-28 season.