Although James Harden is dealing with a left shoulder strain, he is not listed on the Houston Rockets injury report for Wednesday’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Under different circumstances, the Rockets might elect to be more cautious with their star, however, only three wins currently separate No. 4 and No. 8 in the Western Conference standings. Houston has a precarious hold on the No. 5 seed.
After this contest, the Rockets do not play again until Feb. 21. Harden can use the All-Star break to rest and recover for the team’s playoff push. Barring a setback, he will participate in the All-Star Game as planned, but that will be nowhere near as demanding as an traditional in-season game.
The rest of the team could use recovery time as well. Several players are dealing with aches and pains, including guard Austin Rivers, who appears on Wednesday’s injury report with elbow soreness. He will sit out against Minnesota.
For the first time this season, Houston could be fully healthy in one week’s time. Starting center Clint Capela (thumb) is targeting the Rockets’ first game after the break to make his return from thumb surgery. By that point, Harden and Rivers should be healthy as well.
In the meantime, these injuries likely mean extended minutes for Kenneth Faried and newly acquired wing Iman Shumpert, who have been critical midseason additions for a team that is constantly shorthanded.
