Tuesday’s game against San Antonio was the first for the Rockets since starter center Alperen Sengun went down with a severe right leg injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win in Sacramento. It was reported that he had been diagnosed with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain while avoiding any structural damage to his knee, which was great news for Houston. However, Sengun will miss “several weeks,” which makes it highly unlikely he will play again this season.
How would Houston account for Sengun’s absence? For Tuesday’s game, Rockets coach Ime Udoka decided to start rookie Amen Thompson (44% rostered, Yahoo), with Jabari Smith Jr. starting opposite Victor Wembanyama. Thompson played 23 minutes, accounting for six points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. While he did not miss a shot, going 2-of-2 from the field and the foul line isn’t going to cut it, especially when the production in other categories is minimal.
While Thompson was the popular streamer, especially with Cam Whitmore (knee) also sidelined, Jock Landale (23%) should not be ignored. He played 26 minutes off the bench, tallying 11 points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals, one block, and one 3-pointer. Houston doesn’t have another big who has played rotation minutes, so Landale experiencing an increase in minutes is expected, even if he continues to come off the bench. Houston finishes Week 20 with games against Washington and Cleveland, and Landale’s presence will be required for the latter. As for the Wizards? Based on what happened to them in Memphis on Tuesday, that could be a game where Landale and Smith feast.
Let’s look at a few of Tuesday’s top pickups, including one who had the best game of his NBA career.
GG Jackson (30%) and Jake LaRavia (20%)
The Grizzlies led by 25 at halftime of their win over the Wizards, who became the first team eliminated from postseason contention on Monday. Two players who performed well were Jackson and LaRavia, who combined to score 35 points off the bench. Jackson finished with 19 points, two rebounds, one assist, one block, and one 3-pointer. While he had a bad night from three, going 1-of-7,…
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