Tag: DJ Augustin

Garrison Mathews, DJ Augustin exit health and safety protocols; Armoni Brooks enters

Garrison Mathews and DJ Augustin are back with the Rockets after missing four games due to health and safety protocols. However, Armoni Brooks is now entering the protocol.

The Rockets enter Monday’s game at Philadelphia with seven straight losses, but they do have at least some roster reinforcements on the way. Garrison Mathews and DJ Augustin, who missed each of Houston’s last four games due to the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, have been cleared and are no longer on the team’s injury report.

However, reserve sharpshooter Armoni Brooks — who started in Saturday’s second half versus Denver after Kevin Porter Jr.’s halftime outburst — is now unavailable due to his own protocols stint. While there is no immediate timetable for Brooks’ return, each of Houston’s four players to enter the protocol since Christmas has rejoined the team in less than a week, presumably due to the NBA’s recently relaxed rules.

Mathews and Augustin are two of Houston’s best perimeter shooters, with 3-point percentages of 37.0% and 41.3%, respectively. Only Eric Gordon, who is questionable for Monday’s game with right hamstring tightness, has a higher clip (44.7%) among rotation players.

A 6-foot-5 wing, Mathews also offers value to the Rockets in terms of defensive length and a willingness to draw charges.

If Gordon is unavailable, Mathews appears likely to start for Houston at the small forward spot. If Gordon plays, Mathews would presumably come off the bench. As a point guard, Augustin might also find an increased short-term role if Porter is disciplined for his recent antics.

Tipoff between the Rockets and 76ers is set for 6:00 p.m. CST.

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Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate makes impressive return versus Heat

Jae’Sean Tate on his return to the Rockets: “They called me earlier today and said they had changed the rules, and (asked) would I be ready to suit up. I was like, ‘Heck, yeah.’”

As rookie Jalen Green was wrapping up his pregame shootaround, the small crowd in attendance who showed up early for Friday’s Houston Rockets contest versus the Miami Heat began to cheer when a familiar face that had not been seen in a while came walking out of the tunnel.

Second-year Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate made sure to return the love he was receiving, as he waived to the Toyota Center crowd before being handed a basketball to begin his drills.

It was the first time that Tate had been seen in a Rockets uniform in over eight days, having played his last game on Dec. 23 at Indiana.

After that game, Tate and forward KJ Martin (who also returned on Friday) and guards DJ Augustin and Garrison Mathews were all placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocol due to COVID-19 related issues.

After the game, Tate revealed to the media what he did while recovering from COVID-related symptoms:

It was relaxing at first, and then it got boring real fast. Those first couple days, I used it for my body to recover. You start to feel how sore you really are.

By day three, you’re just looking at TV all day, and you’re just ready to do what you love. They called me earlier today and said that they had changed the rules, and (asked) would I be ready to suit up. I was like, ‘Heck, yeah.’

Instead of placing him in his usual starting role, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas decided to bring Tate off the bench Friday to help him get reacclimated to being back on the court and test his conditioning.

“I was concerned, obviously, because I didn’t start him, but I didn’t know what we were going to get from him,” Silas said after the game.

Tate scored a team-high 22 points in the 25 minutes he was on the court in Houston’s 120-110 defeat to the Heat, and he made 9-of-15 shots (60%) from the field. He admitted to shaking some of the rust off due to not playing for so long. One thing that seemed to fire up the former All-Rookie First Team player was the on-the-court battle and trash-talking going on between Tate and Heat superstar Jimmy Butler.

“I love that he is a competitor,” Tate said postgame. “He is a guy who has a love for the game and love for the competition. He works extremely hard. Any player that likes to compete, I am a fan of. It was a little bitter tonight, but at the end of the day, it was a great game.”

Tate won’t have a long time to recover, as the Denver Nuggets will make their way to Toyota Center on Saturday. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. CST.

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Rockets issue positive update on players in health, safety protocols

Based on the NBA’s newly revised rules, Houston could have some of its protocol players (Jae’Sean Tate, Garrison Mathews, KJ Martin and DJ Augustin) back as soon as Saturday or Monday.

For the time being, the Houston Rockets remain without four rotation players (Garrison Mathews, DJ Augustin, Jae’Sean Tate, and KJ Martin) due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols for COVID-19. But as of now, the team appears cautiously optimistic that they could return soon.

“They’re good,” head coach Stephen Silas said prior to Tuesday’s home game. “Symptoms are minimal, if that. Everybody’s fine.”

Mathews and Augustin have been resting in Houston since apparently testing positive on Sunday, when the team was coming out of its mini-break over Christmas. Tate and Martin, however, were with the team in Charlotte when they were placed into the protocol on Monday. While NBA rules did not allow them to travel back to Houston with the team, Silas said Tuesday that he believed they had returned on their own.

The NBA’s newly revised protocols could allow many of those players to return much sooner than they would have earlier in the season. Per ESPN, vaccinated players who are asymptomatic can now clear quarantine after six days if testing data shows they’re no longer at risk to be infectious. The Rockets’ roster is fully vaccinated and fully boostered, which may also be playing a role in their lack of symptoms.

Thus, for Houston’s players who went into the protocol early this week, they could potentially emerge as soon as Saturday’s home game versus Denver or Monday’s road contest in Philadelphia. As of late Wednesday, the team had not issued an expected timetable just yet.

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Rockets lose Jae’Sean Tate, KJ Martin to growing health and safety protocols list

As of late Monday, Houston now has four players sidelined by the NBA’s health and safety protocols: Jae’Sean Tate, KJ Martin, Garrison Mathews, and DJ Augustin. Hardship signings will be required.

Starting forward Jae’Sean Tate and reserve forward KJ Martin were each added on Monday afternoon to Houston’s growing list of health and safety protocols absences, which already included Garrison Mathews and DJ Augustin. Until this week, the Rockets had been largely unaffected by COVID-19 issues during the 2021-22 season.

Some consolation for the Rockets, along with numerous other teams that are currently having their rosters ravaged by positive COVID test results, is the new agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA) that shortens the mandatory quarantine period for vaccinated players to six days, rather than 10.

Even with the reduced quarantine window, all players who were added to the protocols list over the last two days (barring an inconclusive result that ultimately proves to be negative, or the determination of a false positive) will still miss this week’s games for the Rockets, who are in Charlotte on Monday followed by home games on Tuesday versus the Lakers, Friday against Miami, and Saturday versus Denver.

But after those four games, they could potentially return as soon as Houston’s game at Philadelphia on Monday, Jan. 3.

With Houston facing its first widespread roster absences, there are also short-term roster implications. Under new rules, NBA teams are permitted to sign one replacement player for each player who tests positive for COVID-19, and teams are required to sign at least one replacement player if they have two positive cases; at least two if they have three positive cases; and at least three if they have four or more positive cases.

The Rockets filled one of the vacated roster spots by recalling rookie guard Daishen Nix from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate. But with Houston’s protocols list now expanding to at least four, further roster additions will be necessary.

Any replacement players who are signed will not count toward the team’s yearly salary and will not factor into any luxury tax calculations. Each hardship signing is initially for a period of 10 days.

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Garrison Mathews sidelined for Rockets by health, safety protocols

As Houston emerges from its Christmas break, Garrison Mathews joins teammate DJ Augustin with absences due to health and safety protocols.

Third-year wing Garrison Mathews, who has become a regular starter for Houston over the past month, is joining DJ Augustin as a health and safety protocols absence for the Rockets. His timetable to return is not yet clear, though assuming it is due to a positive COVID-19 test result, the NBA is shortening the return process to as little as six days.

With Mathews in a more prominent role, Houston is 9-7 over its last 16 games. In those outings, Mathews is averaging 12.9 points (38.8% on 3-pointers) and 3.9 rebounds in 31.7 minutes per game.

For as long as Mathews is sidelined, that should present more opportunities for reserve guards and wings like Armoni Brooks and rookie Josh Christopher. Expected starters Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. could also shoulder more of the load, though they may each miss one game of Houston’s back-to-back on Monday in Charlotte and Tuesday versus the Los Angeles Lakers (at home) as a precaution due to their recent leg injuries. Both are listed as questionable for Monday.

Mathews is the first player on the Rockets outside of Augustin to miss time in the 2021-22 NBA season due to health and safety protocols. Houston has not played since Thursday, Dec. 23 and did not practice on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day — so if both players did test positive, it’s possible that no teammates were exposed due to the timetable.

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Rockets lose DJ Augustin to stint in health and safety protocols

For the second time in a month, veteran guard DJ Augustin will miss time for the Rockets due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

For the second time in a month, veteran guard DJ Augustin will miss time for the Houston Rockets due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to reports from Sunday’s practice. The news could lead to more time for reserve guards Armoni Brooks and rookie Josh Christopher.

Augustin missed two games on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 due to protocols, but that was due to an inconclusive test result, rather than a confirmed positive. The 14-year veteran later registered two negative results — which, as a fully vaccinated player, is all he needed to return. At the time, the 34-year-old said his daughter had tested positive for COVID-19.

In 14.9 minutes, Augustin is averaging 5.4 points and 2.3 assists per game during the 2021-22 season. He is shooting 41.3% on 3-pointers, which ranks second-best on the Rockets (trailing only Eric Gordon).

Thus far, Augustin is the only member of the Rockets who has missed time this season due to health and safety protocols. The team has yet to comment on his potential timetable for a return.

Houston has not played since Thursday, Dec. 23 and did not practice on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, so if Augustin did test positive, it’s possible that no teammates were exposed due to the timetable.

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Rockets rookie Josh Christopher takes advantage of first career NBA start

Rockets rookie Josh Christopher on his first NBA start: “Hard work is everything, and just being ready. When you do get your name called, seize the opportunity and maximize it.”

As I stood on the baseline of Toyota Center earlier this month thinking about what my article would highlight from a hard-fought game played by the Houston Rockets, something caught my eye from the stands.

“Happy Birthday, son,” said the rather tall gentleman. He was standing next to two other people, all waiting to embrace the 6-foot-5 rookie that was making his way up the stairs.

“Thank you,” I hear the young man say as I move towards the two men. The closer I got, the clearer the faces became, and now it makes sense why there were still three individuals waiting well after the Rockets had defeated the Nets, 114-104. Rockets rookie guard Josh Christopher, who turned 20 years old that night, greeted his adoring family after scoring a career-high 18 points in front of a jam-packed arena.

“All he needs is an opportunity and minutes,” said Laron Christopher, who is Josh’s father. “My son is very humble and will wait for his chance, and when it comes, you all will see what he can do.”

On Saturday, Christopher got that opportunity he had been waiting on, as he was inserted into the Rockets starting lineup at Detroit. Head coach Stephen Silas didn’t inform him that he would be making his first career start before the game, so it came as a surprise when Christopher noticed his name on the board with the rest of the starters.

“DJ Augustin had told me before they wrote it on the board,” Christopher said jokingly after the game. “I didn’t have my contacts in, so I was like, ‘Does it say J.C.?’ It did, so a little excitement, but more ready to go, like ‘Boom, we’re here, let’s go win a game.’”

Christopher finished with 10 points and seven assists in the Rockets’ 116-107 win over the Pistons. It was the third straight game that the former Arizona State guard scored in double digits. He has made the most of his increased minutes on the floor with a depleted backcourt missing Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, and Armoni Brooks due to injuries.

After the game, Christopher was asked about how he felt about his first start, and he echoed the same sentiments his father had after he had his NBA career-high in points on his 20th birthday:

Hard work is everything, and just being ready and when you do get your name called, seize the opportunity and maximize it so you can keep on building on it. Not to get too high, not to get too low. When things like this happen, keep going super hard so more good things can happen for you and the team.

The Rockets (10-20), who have won nine of their last 13 games overall, will be back in action on Monday against the Bulls (17-10). Tipoff from Chicago is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST.

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Reaction: Eric Gordon, DJ Augustin lead Rockets’ stunning comeback in Atlanta

Despite 41 points from Trae Young and a late 13-point deficit to the Hawks, veterans Eric Gordon and DJ Augustin rallied Houston to a statement win on the road.

The Houston Rockets trailed for nearly all of Monday’s game at Atlanta, were down by 13 points after three quarters, and absorbed an absolute onslaught from All-Star guard Trae Young (41 points, 9 assists).

But thanks to unexpected showings deep off the bench and a strong veteran backcourt duo of Eric Gordon and DJ Augustin, the Rockets outgunned the Hawks in the fourth quarter by an incredible 44-25 margin, leading to a stunning 132-126 win (box score) on the road.

For the young and scrappy Rockets (9-18), it represents their eight win in the team’s last 10 games. For the Hawks (13-14), who made the Eastern Conference finals last season, it’s only their fifth loss in 14 games.

Gordon led the way with a season-high 32 points in 32 minutes, including 5-of-8 on 3-pointers (62.5%). Meanwhile, Augustin added 22 in 23 minutes as a reserve, shooting 6-of-7 (85.7%) on 3-pointers. Houston was +21 in its minutes with Augustin, and -15 in all other minutes. Christian Wood was oddly cold with 12 points on 4-of-13 from the field (30.8% FG) and 0-of-6 on 3-pointers, and head coach Stephen Silas made an unusual call not to play his star big man at all in the fourth quarter.

It was the right call, with reserves like KJ Martin (13 points, 6 rebounds in 27 minutes), Alperen Sengun (11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists in 25 minutes), and even David Nwaba (10 points, 6 rebounds in 11 minutes) — who has been out of the rotation for weeks — playing key roles late in the game. Jae’Sean Tate added 15 points (3-of-4 on 3-pointers) and 4 assists, giving Houston seven double-figure scorers in a balanced effort.

“Tonight, I just had a gut feeling to roll with the group that brought the energy and was really playing well,” Silas said postgame.

Houston will finish up their three-game road trip with Wednesday’s game at Cleveland, where tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST. Until then, see below for highlights and more postgame reaction from Atlanta.

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Rockets react as Christian Wood, Eric Gordon lead sixth straight win

Christian Wood and Eric Gordon scored 23 points apiece Sunday versus New Orleans, leading Houston to a sixth consecutive win and extending the NBA’s longest active winning streak.

Led by strong games from the veteran duo of Christian Wood (23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Eric Gordon (23 points, 5 assists), the Houston Rockets improbably won their sixth consecutive game with Sunday’s 118-108 victory (box score) over visiting New Orleans.

Garrison Mathews, Jae’Sean Tate, Daniel Theis, Alperen Sengun, KJ Martin, and DJ Augustin all chipped in with 9 or more points, leading a balanced effort on offense for the victorious home team at Toyota Center.

The Pelicans (7-19) were led by former All-Star Brandon Ingram, who scored a game-high 40 points. As for the mostly young Rockets (7-16), they continue to hold the NBA’s longest active winning streak, and it’s by far the most consecutive games that any NBA team has ever won immediately after a losing streak of 15 or more games.

The competition will rise significantly for Houston in the coming days, with the Brooklyn Nets and reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks set to come to town later this week. During the current six-game streak, four of the wins have come versus New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and Orlando, who are three of the only four NBA teams with worse records than Houston on the 2021-22 season to date. The short-term absence of the usual starting backcourt of Jalen Green (left hamstring strain) and Kevin Porter Jr. (left thigh contusion) doesn’t help matters, either.

But the Rockets will save those concerns for another day. For now, they will enter back-to-back off days with strong momentum and incredibly positive vibes from a six-game winning streak. See below for all the highlights and postgame reaction from Sunday night at Toyota Center.

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Player grades: Eric Gordon leads Rockets to fifth straight win versus Orlando

Eric Gordon scored 24 points on 70%+ shooting and hit the game-winning shot as the Rockets won a fifth straight game by holding off Cole Anthony and the Magic.

Veteran guard Eric Gordon scored a team-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting (71.4%), including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers (66.7%), leading the young Houston Rockets to an improbable five-game winning streak with Friday’s 118-116 home victory (box score) over Orlando.

Fittingly, Gordon hit the game-winning shot on a runner with only 1.6 seconds left. That lifted the Rockets (6-16) to a feel-good win at Toyota Center over the Magic (5-19), despite losing prized young point guard Kevin Porter Jr. to another re-aggravation of his left thigh contusion.

Cole Anthony led Orlando with 26 points (10-of-20 shooting) and 7 assists, but his attempt at a winning 3-pointer at the buzzer was just short as Houston escaped with the win. Other Houston players to score in double-figures included Christian Wood (20 points, 14 rebounds), Jae’Sean Tate (15 points, 7 rebounds), Garrison Matthews (16 points), and rookie big man Alperen Sengun (13 points, 5 assists).

See below for highlights and analysis of individual player performances by the Rockets from Friday’s game. Houston will look to extend its unlikely winning streak to six games when New Orleans (7-18) visits Toyota Center on Sunday night, with tipoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Central.

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