The Houston Rockets opened the 2025-26 campaign with two straight losses, but have since won five games on the trot to go 5-2 for the season thus far. The streak has continued despite the limited availability of Steven Adams, who sat out the game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to tightness in his Left Hip Flexor.
Now, the Rockets are set to take on none other than the San Antonio Spurs in their first NBA Cup tie of the season. And considering the Rockets’ recent form and the fact that Adams is only questionable for the game as per the NBA’s official injury report, the Spurs may have a problem on their hands.
Adams’ absence against the Grizzlies marked his first missed game of the season, and the Rockets are choosing a cautious approach given his long injury history and physical playing style. That suggests that the Spurs, who are looking to recover after back-to-back losses against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, may get to try in the absence of Adams once again.
After missing the 2023–24 season and appearing in only 58 games last year, Adams entered this campaign on a closely managed workload to preserve long-term health. The 32-year-old still played a part in the Rockets finishing 2nd in the West last season and is once again expected to play a major role with his team expected to compete for the championship this time around.
His production has been impactful in short bursts. Despite averaging 22.5 minutes per appearance, he has produced 9.5 rebounds and an NBA-best 5.0 offensive boards per game thus far.
The Adams–Alperen Şengün frontcourt pairing has fueled one of the league’s top rebounding units. That becomes even more important against the Spurs, who have in Victor Wembanyama an interior presence that casually dominates games.
However, the Spurs will know they have a challenge on their hands even with Adams out. If Adams remains out, Clint Capela is expected to assume the backup center role, with Tari Eason likely to absorb additional frontcourt minutes behind Şengün.
