Rockets Will Roll Without Standout Reserve vs 76ers

The Rockets will miss a key veteran on Monday against the Sixers.

The Houston Rockets will be in South Philly on Monday afternoon for their second and final matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Both sides enter the matchup with some key names out of the mix. For the Rockets, they’ll roll without their standout reserve, Tari Eason.

The veteran forward being out is nothing new for the Rockets. Lately, Eason has been recovering from a lower leg injury, which has cost him availability for weeks’ worth of games.

The last time Eason stepped foot on the floor was on New Year’s Day when the Rockets picked up a 23-point win over the Detroit Pistons. At the time, Eason checked in for 23 minutes and produced 17 points. Since then, he’s missed seven games.

Monday’s matchup will mark eight in a row for Eason, who will continue to take time off to manage his injury. 

When the Sixers paid a visit to the Rockets back in late December, Eason checked in off the bench for 27 minutes. He struggled from the field, knocking down just 39 percent of his shots. Although the veteran didn’t shoot efficiently to notch ten points, he secured a double-double with 11 rebounds in the Rockets’ four-point defeat against the Sixers.

Houston might have health concerns with the likings of Eason out, but the Sixers’ injury report is crowded. As far as reserves go, the Sixers will be down Robert Covington, Mo Bamba, and Kenneth Lofton Jr. As for starters, they’ll roll without De’Anthony Melton as well.

Lately, the Sixers have struggled with finding themselves in the winner’s circle. Since ringing in the New Year, the Sixers have lost three of their first five games. The Rockets will attempt to offer the Sixers their fourth loss of 2024 as they face a tough Philly crowd.