In a season defined by widespread injuries and player absences for the Houston Rockets, it feels only fitting that 2020-21 will conclude on Sunday with more than half of the team’s roster unavailable.
In the pregame injury report, 10 of the team’s 17 players under standard contracts are listed as out with long-standing injuries. It’s easier to list the seven regulars who are playing: Kelly Olynyk, Jae’Sean Tate, DJ Augustin, KJ Martin, Anthony Lamb, Armoni Brooks, and D.J. Wilson (who finally exited health and safety protocols). Houston is meeting the NBA’s minimum threshold of at least eight active players with the additions of Cameron Oliver and Cam Reynolds, who are on hardship exceptions.
Yet, even with the absences of marquee players such as Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr., John Wall, and Eric Gordon, the short-handed Rockets have somehow found success as the NBA’s regular season winds down — even versus playoff teams. They were arguably a missed late call from taking down the defending champion Lakers in Los Angeles, and led by Olynyk and Tate, they defeated the Clippers on Friday in Houston.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
- Point spread: Hawks -9.5
- Money line: Hawks -500 / Rockets +360
- Over-under: 231.5
- Player scoring props: TBD
Place your legal, online sports bets in VA, CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM.
Unlike the Clippers, who rested several regulars on Friday such as Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Pat Beverley, the Hawks are likely to play aggressively on Sunday night. Atlanta is in a very tight race with New York (39-31) and Miami (39-31) for the No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 playoff seeds out of the Eastern Conference. Earning the No. 4 spot would secure home-court advantage for at least one round of the playoffs.
Atlanta is much healthier than the Rockets, by comparison, listing Cam Reddish (right Achilles soreness) as Sunday’s only confirmed absence. Onyeka Okongwu (right shoulder soreness) is questionable, while Kevin Huerter (left ankle) and Tony Snell (right Achilles) are probable.
With that in mind, the Hawks will likely start their usual starting five of Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Solomon Hill, John Collins, and Clint Capela. The Rockets could counter with their recent grouping of DJ Augustin, Armoni Brooks, Jae’Sean Tate, KJ Martin, and Kelly Olynyk.
Advice and prediction
The Rockets enter Sunday having covered the spread in five consecutive games, including Friday’s impressive win over the Clippers. While Houston is severely short-handed, its current roster is filled with young players who are playing hard in a bid to earn roster spota for 2021-22.
However, the Rockets have also benefited in that recent run from opponents who were either resting marquee players entirely (Paul George, Kawhi Leonard) or were willing to “call off the dogs” in the fourth quarter to try and manage the workloads of their top players.
The Hawks have clinched a top-six seed in the East, which means they won’t have to play again until the start of the NBA’s 2021 playoffs next weekend. The bet here is that Nate McMillan uses Sunday’s game as a tuneup and plays aggressively to try and secure the best possible seed.
Prediction: Hawks 123, Rockets 109
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