Rockets Could Face a Banged-Up Kings Squad Tonight

Coming off a disheartening 133-125 loss to the Utah Jazz, the Houston Rockets are searching for a much-needed victory at home tonight against the Sacramento Kings. Tonight, they'll try to earn their fourth win in five games.

The Rockets have been without a few key rotation players this season. Fred VanVleet (torn ACL) has been and will be out for the entire season, while Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle surgery) has yet to make his season debut. Tari Eason played in 11 games, but has remained out with an oblique injury.

Houston could continue to play without Steven Adams (ankle), who has missed two of the team's last three contests. The 6-foot-11 bruiser has been crucial for the Rockets in the rebounding department, as they're on track to break the all-time record for rebounding percentage in a season (40.5%).

As for the Kings, they have had a largely disappointing season thus far with a 5-16 record. The Zach LaVine-DeMar DeRozan-Domantas Sabonis experiment has continued to fail miserably, and tonight they could be banged up on top of riding a three-game losing streak.

According to the injury report, Sacramento will be without Sabonis, as expected. The All-Star big man is still recovering from a torn meniscus he suffered a partial meniscus tear in November. On top of that, Malik Monk (right shoulder soreness) is probable, but 100% guaranteed to suit up.

Dennis Schroder, the Kings' veteran point guard, is questionable with a right hip flexor strain. He has missed their last three games, and tonight could make it four.

While both sides are without important contributors, the Rockets have at least shown more production amid injuries. They aren't fully healthy and still have a 13-5 record, good for the third seed in a crowded Western Conference.

The Kings, on the other hand, are three games out of the final Play-In Tournament spot as the 13th seed in the West. This could be a season full of big changes as trade season approaches, seeing as how they could enter a rebuild amid struggles with the current roster.

Houston is expected to snag the win tonight, but Sacramento is hungry for a win. The Kings aren't particularly good on either side of the ball, ranking in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive ratings. However, they have limited their mistakes with a 13.6% turnover percentage, which ranks fourth in the league.