The Houston Rockets travel to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, November 19, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Both teams contend with significant injuries that could shape rotations and strategies.
Houston will be without Tari Eason (right oblique strain), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle surgery), Fred VanVleet (right ACL repair), and two-way players Isaiah Crawford and Kevon Harris. Jabari Smith Jr. is listed as questionable with right knee tendinopathy.
The Rockets rely on Kevin Durant (25.9 PPG) and Alperen Sengun (23.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 7.4 APG) for scoring and playmaking, with Amen Thompson contributing 17.3 points and 5.2 assists per game. Steven Adams adds support on the boards with 9.4 rebounds per game.
Cleveland is without Darius Garland (left great toe), Max Strus (left foot Jones fracture), Chris Livingston (G League two-way), and Jaylon Tyson (head concussion), while Sam Merrill is questionable with a right hand sprain.
The Cavaliers’ offensive leaders include Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging 30.9 points and 5.5 assists per game, and Evan Mobley, contributing 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds. DeAndre Hunter adds 17.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while Lonzo Ball leads Cleveland with 5.3 assists.
Both teams enter on winning streaks, with Houston securing consecutive victories over the Magic (117-113 OT) and Trail Blazers (140-116). Cleveland also comes off back-to-back wins, beating the Bucks 118-106 and the Grizzlies 108-100.
This game marks the first matchup between Houston and Cleveland in the 2025-26 season.
