Tag: John Wall

Interviews: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Gordon rejoin Rockets

Wall, Cousins, Gordon, and rookie guard Mason Jones all returned to the team at Wednesday’s practice following seven-day quarantines.

For the first time in more than a week, the Houston Rockets were nearly at full strength at Wednesday’s practice, thanks to key veterans John Wall, Eric Gordon, and DeMarcus Cousins rejoining the team.

Those three veterans and rookie guard Mason Jones were all subject to a seven-day quarantine, since the NBA determined after contact tracing that they were close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case. However, they consistently tested negative themselves, and they were cleared to rejoin the team in time for Wednesday’s practice at Toyota Center.

Wall will replace David Nwaba in the starting lineup when Houston (0-2) host Sacramento (3-1) on Thursday. Meanwhile, Gordon and Cousins should be key cogs off the bench. For former All-Stars Wall and Cousins, who each missed last season due to injury, it will serve as their Rockets debut and their first regular-season game action since 2018-19.

As of now, the only expected rotation player to remain absent is reserve guard Ben McLemore, who tested positive for COVID-19. His positive result gives him a longer timeline to rejoin teammates than those who are quarantined (but testing negative) after possible exposure.

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After Wednesday’s practice, Wall, Cousins, and head coach Stephen Silas were made available to the media for interviews. Here’s a sampling of what each had to say after a frustrating week away from the team.

Rockets plan ‘important practice’ for Wednesday as veterans return

John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Gordon are poised to rejoin the team after a seven-day quarantine due to possible COVID-19 exposure.

The Rockets see Wednesday as an “important practice,” per head coach Stephen Silas, who shared late Monday that veterans Eric Gordon, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins remain on course to rejoin the team. All three of those expected rotation fixtures missed Houston’s initial two games of the 2020-21 regular season due to a mandatory quarantine.

Houston did not practice Tuesday after arriving home in the early morning hours from Denver, where the Rockets (0-2) lost on Monday. The Rockets had played two road games in three nights, and they were very shorthanded due to COVID-19 issues. With just nine active players, Houston was only one above the NBA’s minimum requirement of eight.

Moreover, of those nine active players, two of the key veterans (James Harden and PJ Tucker) didn’t fully participate in training camp or the preseason. As such, fatigue seemed to become an issue in both games. Understandably, Tuesday was a much-needed day off.

That won’t be the case Wednesday, when Silas says the Rockets will have an “important practice” at Toyota Center. Assuming a final round of negative COVID-19 tests, Wall, Cousins, and Gordon are all expected to end their seven-day quarantines (due to possible exposure) in time.

Regarding the schedule, here’s what Silas said late Monday:

Wednesday will be the day that hopefully we’ll play everybody in practice, and then we play Thursday and basically every other day after that. So Wednesday is going to be an important practice, getting those guys back in and getting the whole group kind of on the same page, as far as what we’re trying to get done on both ends of the floor.

Among expected rotation players, the only remaining absence is Ben McLemore, whose return timetable is slightly elongated since he reportedly tested positive (along with rookie KJ Martin Jr.) for the coronavirus. By contrast, Wall, Cousins, Gordon, and rookie Mason Jones have repeatedly tested negative. That’s why, assuming one more round of negative results, those four should be able to return sooner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f-ev_quZls

Given the late arrivals of Harden and Tucker to training camp, Houston hasn’t had too many practices with its full roster. Moreover, with games scheduled every other day for most of January, the Rockets might not want to practice too hard on many of those off days, since they may be sore from a game the night before. Wednesday, on the other hand, is the second of consecutive off days — which should allow players to be fresh.

For a Houston squad wanting to avoid an 0-3 start and needing to integrate its full roster, it comes at an opportune time. Thursday’s tipoff versus Sacramento is set for 7:00 p.m. at Toyota Center, where the Rockets will play six of their next seven games in front of home fans.

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John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Gordon likely to return Wednesday

Assuming negative COVID-19 tests, Wall, Cousins, Gordon, and rookie Mason Jones will be eligible to end their quarantines on Wednesday.

Assuming continued negative COVID-19 tests, four quarantined members of the Houston Rockets are set to rejoin the team at Wednesday’s practice and play on Thursday night at home versus Sacramento.

Those players are veteran guards John Wall and Eric Gordon; center DeMarcous Cousins; and rookie Mason Jones. Following contact tracing, all were deemed to be close contacts of a positive case — though to this point, none have tested positive themselves. All are under seven-day quarantines, per the NBA’s new health and safety protocols.

The timetable means that Wall, Gordon, Cousins, and Jones will each miss two games — Saturday night in Portland, and Monday night in Denver. It would have been a three-game absence, but Wednesday’s scheduled game was postponed due to Houston lacking enough active players.

There is no known return date for Ben McLemore and KJ Martin Jr., who each reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus and are self-isolating. However, the shorthanded Rockets should receive a huge boost when the larger group of contact tracing absences is cleared.

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Shorthanded Rockets flying to Portland to begin season Saturday

Despite losing many players to either positive COVID-19 tests or contact tracing, nine members of the Rockets flew to Portland on Friday.

Despite losing many players to either positive COVID-19 tests (Ben McLemore, KJ Martin Jr.) or contact tracing associated with a positive test, it appears the Rockets will have enough active players to begin their 2020-21 regular season on Saturday in Portland. Houston’s originally scheduled opener on Wednesday was postponed due to COVID issues.

Per the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets expect to have nine active players. which is one above the minimum of eight for an NBA game. Besides McLemore and Martin, the contact tracing absences are headlined by veterans John Wall, Eric Gordon, and DeMarcus Cousins.

According to the team’s injury report, players expected to be available include guards James Harden, David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, and Brodric Thomas; forwards Danuel House Jr., PJ Tucker, and Jae’Sean Tate; and centers Christian Wood and Bruno Caboclo.

There’s no guarantee that the game will go forward, since Houston is close enough to the minimum number of active players that an unexpected positive test result on gameday could change the calculus. However, the fact that the team flew to Portland is a clear signal that they anticipate playing, based on the known results as of late Friday.

Saturday’s tipoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Central, with the game shown in usual Houston markets on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. Led by the veteran backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Trail Blazers enter at 0-1 after a 20-point home loss to Utah to open the season.

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More Rockets games may be in jeopardy due to contact tracing among players

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are subject to a seven-day quarantine, while Eric Gordon is involved in a separate contact tracing incident.

A day after the scheduled opening game of the 2020-21 regular season for the Houston Rockets was postponed due to COVID-19 issues, it became clear that further games could be in jeopardy, as well.

Wednesday’s postponement occurred because Houston fell below the roster minimum of eight active players, largely due to contact tracing among a group headlined by John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Their situation reportedly traces back to an extended haircut visit. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, that group is facing a seven-day quarantine, which would presumably last through next Tuesday, Dec. 29.

At the moment, Houston’s next scheduled games are set for Saturday, Dec. 26, in Portland and Monday, Dec. 28 in Denver. Even with the haircut group out, the Rockets were expecting to be back to at least eight active players with the return of James Harden, who the NBA allowed to exit his own quarantine (over a separate incident) by Saturday.

However, Charania reported late Thursday that due to a separate positive test for a staff member, more contact tracing was being performed involving guard Eric Gordon and others. That would potentially drop Houston below the minimum of eight active players again.

Among Houston’s 15 healthy players under contract. at least eight are known to be under some form of self-quarantine due to either a positive test or the possibility of exposure, determined via contact tracing. Those players are Ben McLemore, KJ Martin Jr., James Harden, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Jae’Sean Tate, Mason Jones, and Eric Gordon,

As of Wednesday’s postponement, Gordon was not on that list. So while Harden’s projected return would allow the Rockets to play, if all else was equal, the loss of Gordon (and potentially others, per Charania’s report) would offset that and put them back in the same place.

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In the worst-case scenario, Houston should have enough players to play by next Thursday, Dec. 31, since that’s outside the one-week window of the largest quarantine group. The Rockets are scheduled to host the Sacramento Kings at Toyota Center on New Year’s Eve, in what was originally slated as the fourth game of their 2020-21 reular season.

But the games prior to that on Saturday and Monday would potentially be in jeopardy. As of late Thursday, the NBA had yet to make a formal announcement regarding the status of either game.

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Reports: Test result by KJ Martin Jr. led to Rockets’ contact tracing losses

The Houston Rockets are reportedly without John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Jae’Sean Tate due to being in close contact with KJ Martin Jr.

An apparent positive COVID-19 test result for rookie forward KJ Martin Jr. could cause the Houston Rockets to be without several players in Wednesday night’s regular-season opener due to contact tracing.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon, veteran guard John Wall, center DeMarcus Cousins, and rookie forward Jae’Sean Tate were deemed to be close contacts of Martin after getting haircuts together. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Rockets were doing a second round of testing on Martin to confirm the initial result.

Houston was already without reserve guard Ben McLemore due to a separate positive test result, and they could potentially be missing All-Star guard James Harden due to a reported protocol breach. The Rockets entered Wednesday with 15 healthy players on their roster, but if Harden isn’t allowed by the NBA to play, they could be without six members of their expected team (McLemore, Martin, Harden, Wall, Cousins, Tate). That would leave the Rockets with just nine available players, which would be just about the minimum requirement of eight active players.

If Martin’s test result is confirmed, the Rockets aren’t far from a point at which the opening game could be in jeopardy due to a lack of players. While both Wall and Cousins tested negative for COVID-19, per Woj. they may still be ineligible to play for several days under the league’s new safety protocols due to the potential incubation period of the virus.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, neither the team nor the league had issued a public statement on the ongoing situation. Tipoff is currently scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central from Toyota Center.

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Thunder could face depleted Rockets roster without Wall, Cousins, Harden

Houston Rockets players including John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are expected to miss the OKC Thunder game due to contact tracing.

The Oklahoma City Thunder may be facing a Houston Rockets team that is completely depleted.

After news broke that James Harden was being investigated by the NBA for breaking COVID-19 protocol in an apparent video of him at a strip club, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, reports broke that the Rockets could be missing other players, too.

Guard John Wall, center DeMarcus Cousins and “possibly more” players are expected to be out against the Thunder on Wednesday due to contract tracing, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Ben McLemore is in self-isolation, according to Rockets Wire.

That would be a major break for Oklahoma City, who is hoping to pick up a win in its first game of the season.

Without those four players, Houston’s depth chart gets very thin. The Thunder have a real chance to start its new era on a positive note.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Toyota Center.

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Contact tracing to sideline John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins for Rockets

Wall, Cousins, and potentially more members of the Houston Rockets will reportedly miss Wednesday’s season opener due to contact tracing.

John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and potentially more members of the Houston Rockets will miss Wednesday’s regular-season opener due to COVID-19 contact tracing, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Rockets announced Tuesday Ben McLemore is in self-isolation, while reports surfaced early Wednesday that James Harden was under investigation for a potential protocol breach.

Since the Rockets practiced on Tuesday, it’s possible Wall, Cousins and others were deemed close contacts. As of midday Wednesday, the team had yet to officially comment on the situation.

Wednesday’s game between the Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. Central from Toyota Center.

With several members of Houston’s team presumably unavailable, it is an open question who head coach Stephen Silas will tap for minutes.

Stick with Rockets Wire for more on this developing situation.

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Thunder at Rockets: Betting odds, point spread for opening game

Houston is favored by 7.5 at home. The over/under scoring numbers are at 29.5 for James Harden and 18.5 for Christian Wood and John Wall.

The Houston Rockets play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night in the regular season’s opening game for both teams. If you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ve got the latest point spread, moneyline odds, and over-under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet on BetMGM.

The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. Central from Toyota Center, and it can be seen on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. Houston is one of a limited number of NBA markets allowing fans (up to 4,500) to start the 2020-21 season, so there could be a slight home-court advantage factor.

Among rotation players, both teams enter the game mostly healthy. Houston will be without reserve guard Ben McLemore, who is self-isolating, while the Thunder are missing veteran forward Trevor Ariza as well as young prospects Theo Maledon and Ty Jerome.

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Both franchises finished 44-28 last season and tied for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference, though the Thunder have lower expectations entering 2020-21 after opting to effectively rebuild in the offseason. Veterans Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, and Steven Adams were all traded, while Danilo Gallinari signed with Atlanta in free agency.

Among starters, the Rockets effectively swapped out Robert Covington and Russell Westbrook for Christian Wood and John Wall. Meanwhile, Mike D’Antoni was replaced as head coach by Stephen Silas. This will be the first meeting between the teams since their first-round series in the 2020 playoffs, which Houston won in seven games to advance.

The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

  • Point spread: Rockets -7.5 (-110)
  • Money line: Rockets -350/Thunder +260
  • Over-under: 224.5 (-115 over, -105 under)
  • Player O/U Scoring Props: James Harden 29.5 (-115 over, -110 under), Christian Wood 18.5 (-115 over, -110 under), John Wall 18.5 (-105 over, -120 under)

Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, MI, NV, NJ, PA, TN, and WV at BetMGM.

Advice and prediction

The moneyline is steep, especially with two teams that underwent big changes in the offseason followed by a shortened training camp. Houston is the better team on paper, but that 7.5 number is significant. The Rockets probably should cover it, but it’s likely to be a close call.

That said, taking the over on Wall (18.5) could be a smart bet. Wall averaged 16.3 points in 22.9 minutes per game during the preseason, and he’s likely to play for a lot longer in the regular season. He’s also quite motivated to play well, having not taken the court for a regular-season game in nearly two years. Moreover, Harden and Wood should each have their hands full versus quality defenders in Lu Dort and Al Horford.

That could force Wall to step up as a creator to unlock Oklahoma City’s defense. Based on his preseason form and clear motivation to announce his NBA comeback, the five-time All-Star may have a big night.

Prediction: 117-109, Rockets

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Christian Wood says James Harden, John Wall will make him a star

“Playing with those two, they’re going to make me a star,” Wood said after Tuesday’s practice. “The sky is the limit for us.”

Coming off a sensational debut with 27 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes during Houston’s final exhibition game, new Rockets center Christian Wood says he and his teammates are ready for the 2020-21 regular season, which begins Wednesday night at Toyota Center.

Most notably, the 6-foot-10 big man thinks he could get even better, as he continues to get more repetitions with veteran guards James Harden and John Wall. Here’s what Wood said after Tuesday’s practice:

I think playing with those two, they’re gonna make me a star. Through practices and one preseason game, we felt the chemistry between each other. We haven’t even had a full season together. The sky’s the limit for us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAZ3l4EG1FE

Head coach Stephen Silas also shared optimism regarding his 25-year-old center, who missed much of the start of training camp due to a sore left elbow. But Wood was medically cleared a week ago, and since then, his chemistry with Houston’s All-Star guards seems to have grown.

It’s been really good. I mean, he’s so versatile, and to have players that can draw attention away from him? Now he’s attacking closeouts, or they draw a second defender, which happens to be his defender, and now he can play to his strengths.

It’s going to be an ongoing process that’ll probably have a little bit of ups and downs in it, because stuff like that doesn’t usually just start good and stay good. There’s usually some bumps in the road along the way. But we have the tools to allow him to kind of do his thing, and when he’s doing his thing at a high level, it’s good for everybody.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvKslkfbWtA

The Rockets hope to see even more growth from Wood once the regular season begins. Wednesday’s tipoff between Houston and Oklahoma City is set for 7:00 p.m. Central, with the game shown regionally on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and nationally on NBA League Pass.

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