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The Rockets will be without forward Danuel House Jr. for the remainder of the 2019-20 playoffs after the NBA concluded that he broke “bubble” protocols in an incident involving an unauthorized person at Houston’s team hotel. Per the league, he is leaving the Florida campus.
In nine playoff games, House averaged 11.4 points (35.8% on 3-pointers) and 5.8 rebounds in 31.0 minutes, and he was among the most athletic and versatile options for Houston’s switch-heavy defense.
In a statement issued Friday, the NBA wrote:
The NBA has concluded its investigation of a recent violation of campus health and safety protocols. The findings are that Danuel House had a guest in his hotel room over multiple hours on September 8 who was not authorized to be on campus. No evidence was found that other players or staff had contact with the guest or were involved in this incident.
House is leaving the NBA campus and will not participate with the Rockets team in additional games this season.
The discipline is much stronger than anticipated. On Wednesday, ESPN reported that House could potentially be out for the remainder of the team’s second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, with the likely discipline being a mandatory 10-day quarantine period.
However, the statement makes clear that House will not return at any point this season — even if Houston advances in the playoffs.
The NBA issued the following statement about Danuel House. He has left the bubble and won’t return to Houston this season: pic.twitter.com/eFyI9SIbEO
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) September 11, 2020
Per The Athletic, investigators had found “circumstantial evidence” suggesting that House violated protocols at Houston’s Disney World hotel by being in close contact with an unauthorized person. However, House denied any wrongdoing, and the woman in question (reportedly a COVID-19 testing official) denied his involvement, as well.
The circumstantial evidence seemingly involved “door data,” referring to a possible opening of the door to House’s hotel room during the time window in question, per the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen.
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While testing officials are allowed inside the bubble, they go in and out each day and (unlike players) do not live there. Thus, as with maintenance staff, the NBA has protocols in place to minimize the potential exposure of those workers to personnel living at the bubble.
The woman said she had contact with Rockets center Tyson Chandler (who also sat out Game 3 for personal reasons) and another player who wasn’t House, but the NBA’s probe reportedly cleared Chandler.
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It all makes for a confusing and embarrassing end to the season for House, who remains under contract with the Rockets for two more seasons. As long as Houston stays alive in the playoffs, his previous minutes will likely be filled by reserves Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore.
P.J. Tucker today: “He plays 30 minutes a game on our team. When you’re missing somebody that (plays) that much game time for your team, it’s tough. We’re having to make up for it, but it’s something we’ll have to adjust and figure out.” https://t.co/HYPsKDyAaN
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) September 11, 2020
In Houston’s current second-round series, the Rockets were 1-1 in both games with House, and they led going to the fourth quarter in the lone loss. Meanwhile, they’re 0-2 against the Lakers without House, with both losses coming by double digits.
Saturday’s Game 5 between the Rockets and Lakers tips off at 7:00 p.m. Central, with a national TV broadcast on ESPN. If Houston loses that game, its 2019-20 season would come to an end.
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