Tonight on NBA TV: Shanghai Sharks vs. Houston Rockets (8 ET)
Houston Rockets fans will have to wait until at least the team’s next preseason game to get their first glimpse at the team’s shiny, new backcourt.
Guard Russell Westbrook will not play against the Shanghai Sharks tonight, reports ESPN’s Tim MacMahon as the Rockets try to exercise caution with the former Kia MVP winner. Westbrook had arthroscopic knee surgery in early May and the team is putting a priority on being cautious with him in the preseason, MacMahon reports.
Per Shams Charania and others from The Athletic, Westbrook is expected to sit the first two preseason games and will make his Rockets preseason debut on Oct. 8 against the Toronto Raptors.
Source: Russell Westbrook will not play in the Rockets' preseason opener tonight against the Shanghai Sharks. The Rockets are exercising caution with Westbrook, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in the spring and was recently cleared for live 5-on-5 action.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) September 30, 2019
Sources with @Rockets_Insider, @KellyIkoNBA: Rockets star Russell Westbrook is expected to sit first two preseason games and make his Houston debut when team plays Toronto Oct. 8 and 10 in Japan.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 30, 2019
The Rockets acquired Westbrook in perhaps the biggest blockbuster trade of the summer and he is expected to pair with Houston’s former Kia MVP-winning shooting guard, James Harden, to form a potent combination.
Houston’s next preseason game will be on at 1 a.m. ET on Friday as it takes on the LA Clippers at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports forward P.J. Tucker, who sprained his ankle in USA Basketball practice last month, has not been limited at training camp. Additionally, forward Thabo Sefolosha’s arrival to the Rockets has been delayed because of visa issues, Feigen reports, but he was able to participate in Sunday’s practice.
