Report: Rockets ‘blindsided’ by NBA decisions on Danuel House Jr.

The Rockets have reportedly received no formal presentation of evidence, and they have had little direct communication with the NBA.

The Houston Rockets were reportedly “blindsided” this week by the NBA’s decision to hold sixth man Danuel House Jr. out of playoff games, since the league has yet to conclude whether he has broken any rules.

ESPN previously reported that the league was weighing the imposition of a potential 10-day quarantine period on House, which would likely make him unavailable for the rest of Houston’s second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. The extended quarantine is due to the fear of a delayed positive test result for COVID-19 among any NBA player or staffer who breaks “bubble” protocols in Central Florida.

On Thursday night, Ben Golliver of The Washington Post cited sources who indicate that the Rockets believe House is being treated as “guilty until proven innocent.” In his story, Golliver writes:

People with knowledge of the situation, who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about the ongoing investigation, said that the Rockets were “blindsided” by the NBA’s decision and that there had been little direct communication between the league office and team officials and Houston had received no formal presentation of evidence. Instead, communication continues between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.

“The NBA is treating [House] as guilty until proven innocent for safety reasons,” said one person with knowledge of the situation. “They’re prioritizing their perception of safety over everything else. The NBPA feels its hands are tied. Any time [the union] talks about due process or presumption of guilt, [the NBA] immediately says, ‘Safety, safety, safety.’ There has to be some limit or balance.”

Per The Athletic, the NBA has “circumstantial evidence” suggesting that House violated protocols on Monday night at the team’s Disney World hotel by being in close contact with an unauthorized person. However, House denies any wrongdoing, and the woman in question (reportedly a COVID-19 testing official) has denied his involvement, as well.

The circumstantial evidence appears to involve “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.

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 Tyson Chandler (who also sat out Game 3 for personal remains) and another player who wasn’t House, but the NBA’s probe reportedly cleared Chandler and is currently focused on House.

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Regardless of the league’s final decision, the storyline doesn’t appear likely to go away any time soon. Even if House is cleared, the Rockets as an organization would likely be frustrated that he was held out of Game 3 and Game 4 before the NBA’s probe had determined any guilt.

Moreover, the lingering investigation during a playoff series could potentially be a distraction for other players and coaches, as well.

Making matters worse, Golliver reports that as of Thursday night, the Rockets had “no indication” that House would be cleared before Saturday’s Game 5. Since the incident in question took place Monday night, a 10-day quarantine period would run until next Thursday.

In nine playoff games, the 6-foot-6 House has averaged 11.4 points (35.8% on 3-pointers) and 5.8 rebounds in 31.0 minutes, and he’s among the most athletic and versatile options for Houston’s switch-heavy defense. In Sunday’s Game 2, the 27-year-old had 13 points and five rebounds off the bench, and he hit 3-of-7 from 3-point range (42.9%).

With House unavailable during a 10-point loss in Game 3, only one Houston reserve (Jeff Green) scored, and the Los Angeles bench outscored those on the Rockets by a commanding 42-16 margin.

The Rockets were 1-1 against the Lakers in both games with House, and they led going to the fourth quarter in the lone loss. Meanwhile, they’re 0-2 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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