The Houston Rockets upgraded the status of Danuel House Jr. (illness) to questionable for Tuesday night’s game in San Antonio.
Final word on his availability should come when head coach Mike D’Antoni meets with the media 90 minutes before Tuesday’s tipoff at 7:30 p.m. Central time. House, who said over the weekend on Instagram that he was dealing with the flu, missed Saturday’s win over Atlanta and was previously listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s rivalry game in San Antonio.
Starting center Clint Capela is expected to play against the Spurs after missing two games with his own illness.
The initial target date for House’s return appeared to be the Toronto game on Thursday, when the Rockets (13-6) have a significant road test versus the defending NBA champion Raptors (15-4). Because the Rockets are flying to Toronto immediately after Tuesday’s game, D’Antoni indicated Monday that House would be with the team in San Antonio for logistics reasons — but unlikely to play.
However, House’s status seems to have improved within the past 24 hours, based on the upgrade from doubtful to questionable. At a bare minimum, it would seem to be a positive indicator for the native Houstonian’s potential availability Thursday in Toronto.
For the season as a whole, House has been one of Houston’s best shooters and wing defenders. He averages 12.4 points in 29.7 minutes per game on 47.4% shooting overall and 44.4% from three-point range. His athleticism and length at 6-foot-6 is also important, considering that Houston’s alternative options are somewhat undersized.
If House is out, former 2013 NBA Draft lottery pick Ben McLemore would again start in his place. The smaller 6-foot-3 guard was excellent in that role Saturday versus Atlanta, posting season-highs of 24 points, 13 rebounds, and six three-pointers. If House starts, McLemore returns to his usual bench spot — where he’s been much less efficient this season.
