Rockets vs. Mavericks: Who's In, Who's Out, And Why It Matters

Rockets vs. Mavericks Injury Report

Saturday’s matchup between Houston (29-17) and Dallas (19-29) comes with absences that matter more for how the game is played than who headlines the box score.

Houston Rockets

Out: Steven Adams (left ankle; surgery)

Out: Fred VanVleet (right knee; ACL repair)

The Rockets injury report should look familiar by now. Houston enters healthier than it was earlier this month, but still without two structural stabilizers. Steven Adams remains sidelined following season-ending ankle surgery, which continues to remove Houston’s lone true physical anchor in the paint. Without him, rebounding becomes a group effort, and lineups skew faster and more mobile rather than bruising.

Fred VanVleet remains out after ACL repair, keeping the Rockets firmly in their post-FVV identity. That means more on-ball responsibility for Amen Thompson and more creation by committee.

The good news: Alperen Şengün is available again tonight, and Tari Eason is back in the rotation after missing time. Şengün’s presence restores Houston’s interior playmaking, late-clock composure, and offensive flow through the middle.

Eason’s return adds energy minutes, transition pressure, and one of Houston’s best connective defenders- especially important against a Dallas team that thrives on physicality and loose possessions.

Dallas Mavericks

Out: Anthony Davis (left finger sprain)

Out: Kyrie Irving (left knee; surgery)

Out: Dante Exum (right knee; surgery)

Out: Dereck Lively II (right foot; surgery)

Dallas remains significantly short-handed. Kyrie Irving has been out since March, removing their primary late-game shot creator and ball-handling release valve. Anthony Davis, injured on Jan. 8, is also unavailable, stripping Dallas of rim protection, vertical pressure, and a major defensive deterrent inside.

Exum and Lively being out for the remainder of the season further thins Dallas’ rotation, particularly in terms of perimeter containment and interior depth. Without those pieces, the Mavericks rely heavily on pace, pressure, and forcing opponents into rushed decisions rather than winning through size or half-court execution.

With both teams missing key structural pieces, tonight’s game will hinge on discipline and control. Houston’s health advantage up front matters, but only if it translates into finished possessions, balanced spacing, and sustained focus when the game inevitably gets uncomfortable.

Rockets vs. Mavericks: Who’s In, Who’s Out, And Why It Matters

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