Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks Injury Report

The Houston Rockets are officially one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

In a Monday night bout with the Boston Celtics, second-year guard Amen Thompson received the ball at the top of the key, sped through the middle of the lane, and stepped back over Jaylen Brown for a high-rising jumper that would put the Rockets up two with just 0.7 second remaining. The shot would be the game-winner, the first of Thompson’s career. He would finished with 33 points on 68% shooting with 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal and block apiece.

“I feel like Kobe,” Thompson laughed after the game. 

The win was impressive on its own for Houston, but even moreso considering the team had just beaten the previously NBA-best Cavaliers in back-to-back games. 

The team is now 12-3 since inserting Amen Thompson into the starting lineup, a decision that’s looking more and more like it will stick by the game. Since his two-game suspension in early January, he’s averaged 17.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

Now riding a three-game win-streak all over elite teams, the Rockets look to a bout with the Atlanta Hawks tonight at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Despite the team’s hot-streak, no matchup on the second night of a back-to-back is easy. Here are the injury reports for both Houston and Atlanta ahead of Tuesday’s matchup:

Houston Rockets injuries:

Jabari Smith Jr. — Out: left metacarpal fracture 

Tari Eason — Out: Left lower leg management

Cam Whitmore — Questionable: illness

Atlanta Hawks injuries:

Kobe Bufkin — Out: right shoulder surgery

Jalen Johnson — Out: Left shoulder injury

Trae Young — Questionable: Right hamstring tightness

Cody Zeller — Out: not with team

The Rockets continue to have a relatively clean bill of health. Their only longer term issue is starting forward Jabari Smith Jr. after he suffered a hand injury in shootaround weeks ago. He’s trending towards an early-March return, but his starting spot may be somewhat in jeopardy with Thompson’s emergence

Cam Whitmore missed Monday’s game with an illness, and is still listed on the report for Tuesday. Tari Eason is listed as out for tonight's matchup, but that's likely due to rest regarding his earlier injury that lingered around.

The Hawks have two high-level players with injury designations in starting forward Jalen Johnson working through a shoulder injury, and star Trae Young questionable to play due to hamstring tightness.