“He’s looking good,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka says of Tari Eason. “He got some live action in (at Saturday’s practice), and we’re hoping to have him back next game.”
After straining his right oblique on Nov. 14, reserve forward Tari Eason appears on the verge of returning to the Houston Rockets. His absence was initially projected at four-to-six weeks, and Friday was the four-week mark.
“He’s looking good,” head coach Ime Udoka told Rockets Wire after Saturday’s team practice in Houston.
“He got some live action in, and we’re hoping to have him back next game,” said Udoka, whose Rockets (16-6) return to action on Monday night (Dec. 15) in Denver.
The final checkpoint will be seeing how Eason responds to Saturday’s activities. If no soreness is reported, the plan is for Eason to be available for what will be a high-profile matchup against the Nuggets (18-6).
“He reacted well to rehab and the return to play (program) that he’s doing,” Udoka said of Eason. “We were (initially) looking at a little over a month… and the four-week window is a lot better for us. If he has no soreness after today’s session, then he’ll be available next game.”
Initially, Udoka says Eason is unlikely to be available for both ends of back-to-backs, though that’s normal in the immediate aftermath of an injury recovery. The Rockets have only one back-to-back remaining this month, at Denver and Sacramento on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, and the Nuggets are clearly a more challenging opponent than the Kings (6-19). Thus, it seems the front end is likely to be the priority.
For the season to date, Eason is averaging 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 23.2 minutes per game. The 24-year-old is shooting a career-best 50.9% from 3-point range.
A versatile 6-foot-8 forward, Eason has missed the last 11 games for the Rockets, who went 8-3 over that span. One of those three losses was a close one to the Nuggets on Nov. 21 — but for the two rematches in Denver on Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, it appears Eason will likely be available.
Update on Tari Eason from Ime Udoka:
Eason is 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 Monday night in Denver. Won’t play in Houston back-to-backs, but should be clear for Nuggets games, Christmas game in Los Angeles.
Eason was out with oblique injury. https://t.co/iDKTH333BY
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) December 13, 2025