Rockets' Forward Questionable to Play vs. Cavaliers

The Houston Rockets are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, having ripped off nine wins in their last 10 tries.

It hasn't always been pretty, but the Rockets — with newly-added superstar Kevin Durant — are quickly finding ways to win in the association. They've beaten Eastern foes in the Celtics, Bucks and Magic, as well as a host of talented teams in the West.

On Wednesday night, they'll face off against a similarly great team in the Cavaliers.

After finishing as the East's top seed a year ago, Cleveland is off to another hot start, albeit with a few more losses than many expected. They currently stand at 10-5, good for second in the Eastern Conference.

With a star guard in Donovan Mitchell, as well as talented bigs in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Cleveland will be a real test for Houston, who wants to keep the win-streak alive.

Here are the injury reports for both the Rockets and Cavaliers ahead of tonight’s game:

Houston Rockets injuries:

Isaiah Crawford — Out: G League

Tari Eason — Out: Right oblique

Dorian Finney-Smith — Out: Left ankle

Jabari Smith Jr. — Questionable: Right knee

Fred VanVleet — Out: Right ACL

Cleveland Cavaliers injuries:

Darius Garland — Out: Left great toe

Chris Livingston — Out: G League

Sam Merrill — Questionable: Right hand

Max Strus — Out: Left foot

Jaylon Tyson — Out: Head

The Rockets will be without several major contributors against Cleveland, with one up in the air.

Lead guard Fred VanVleet will miss the entire 2025-26 season with a torn ACL suffered in an offseason workout, and wing Dorian Finney-Smith has yet to make his Rockets’ debut in working back from an ankle injury.

Forward Tari Eason has picked up a new injury over the last week, and is expected to miss several weeks.

The maybe for the Rockets will be forward Jabari Smith Jr., who is dealing with a right knee issue. His “questionable” designation is a good sign that the injury won’t be a long-term problem, though his status is up in the air against Cleveland. He'll especially be important given just how good Cleveland's frontcourt is.

The Cavaliers are also dealing with plenty of injuries, including to star guard Darius Garland, as well as valuable contributors in Sam Merrill, Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson.

The Rockets and Cavaliers tip off at 6 p.m. CT tonight from Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH.