On night two of a back-to-back for both teams and the finale of a four-game homestand, the Houston Rockets will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night at Toyota Center.
Both the Rockets and Thunder were expected to be rebuilding teams entering the 2022-23 NBA season. But to this point, only the last-place Rockets are level with their lowly expectations — though they do come in with some momentum after defeating Atlanta on Friday.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in All-Star form and perhaps a fringe MVP candidate, averaging more than 30 points per game, the Thunder are ahead ahead of expectations. They’ve had impressive wins over teams like the Mavericks, Raptors, and Clippers (twice).
Can Jalen Green and the Rockets level things out on Saturday? Here’s a look at expected lineups, injuries, and broadcast information for the first Rockets-Thunder game of the 2022-23 season.
When and How to Watch
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 26
- Time: 7:00 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBA League Pass
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (4-14)
- Guard: Kevin Porter Jr.
- Guard: Jalen Green
- Forward: KJ Martin
- Forward: Jabari Smith Jr.
- Center: Alperen Sengun
Oklahoma City Thunder (8-11)
- Guard: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Guard: Josh Giddey
- Forward: Luguentz Dort
- Forward: Jalen Williams
- Center: Aleksej Pokusevski
Projected lineups are primarily based on each team’s previous game, with the exception of Sengun in place of Bruno Fernando, who is out for maintenance purposes on night two of a back-to-back.
Injury reports
Houston’s injury report lists Jae’Sean Tate (right ankle soreness) and Alperen Sengun (left knee injury maintenance) as out, while Alperen Sengun (right groin strain) is probable. Oklahoma City is without Chet Holmgren (right foot surgery) and Mike Muscala (left pinky fracture).
