Both the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets have key players listed on their injury report
The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets face off on Saturday in a battle between two Western Conference heavyweights. The Nuggets have been surging and arguably playing like the best team in the Western Conference with a six-game winning streak. On the other end, the Rockets have been slipping a bit with a recent loss against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Both the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets have some very key players listed on their injury report for Saturday afternoon.
Denver Nuggets Injury Report
The Denver Nuggets have six players listed on their injury report: Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, Tamar Bates, DaRon Holmes II, Curtis Jones, and Peyton Watson.
Christian Braun remains out with a left ankle sprain that he suffered against the LA Clippers in early November, Aaron Gordon is out with a right hamstring strain, Tamar Bates is out with a G League two-way, DaRon Holmes II is out with a G League assignment, Curtis Jones is out with a G League two-way, and Peyton Watson is questionable with a right trunk contusion.
While both Braun and Gordon have not played for an extended period of time for the Nuggets, Watson is a new addition to the injury report. Regardless, it speaks volumes to how deep the Nuggets are for their team to be missing two starters and still be on a six-game winning streak for the second seed in the Western Conference.
Houston Rockets Injury Report
The Houston Rockets have three players listed on their injury report: Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Fred VanVleet.
Tari Eason is out with left lower leg injury management, Dorian Finney-Smith is out with left ankle surgery, and Fred VanVleet remains out with right knee ACL repair.
The Rockets are on the first night of a back-to-back, with a game against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. They recently suffered their worst loss of the season against the New Orleans Pelicans in an overtime loss on Thursday.
What to Look Out For
After suffering a horrible loss, one should expect the Houston Rockets to look for a statement bounce-back win against the Nuggets. At the same time, there is no hotter team in the NBA than the Denver Nuggets. It's also worth noting that the Denver Nuggets are currently on a four-game winning streak against the Rockets, and have already beaten them twice this season.
The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets face off at 5:00 p.m. EST on Saturday.