Things seem to be looking up for the Houston Rockets right now as Houston snapped their three game loosing streak Tuesday thanks to great performances from Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun,
and clutch scoring from Jabari Smith Jr. Now they’re tested by playing the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Houston last faced the Thunder on opening night in a double overtime loss. The Thunder entered as the defending champions and the favorites for the 2025-2026 season. However, after a hot start, the Thunder have cooled off since. OKC has accumulated seven losses since its last meeting with Houston, with three of them coming against the San Antonio Spurs. However, just like the Rockets, OKC has losses against some of the bottom teams, with losses against the Hornets and the Blazers. It’s clear this team while good, is not unbeatable like many claimed them to be early in the season. One notable injury for the Thunder is center Isiah Hartenstein, as he may remain out with a calf injury. This leaves the Thunder with no real defensive stopper for Alpren Sengun. It will be interesting to see if Houston carries in their momentum from Tuesday, or if they once again collapse under pressure. Tip-off 6:30 CT on January 15, 2026
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Injury Report
Rockets
Fred VanVleet: Out (Acl),
Dorian Finney-Smith: Day-To-Day (Ankle),
Tari Eason: Day-To-Day (Ankle)
Thunder
Nikola Topic: Out (Groin),
Thomas Sorber: Out For Season (Knee),
Luguentz Dort: Day-To-Day (Foot),
Isaiah Hartenstein: Day-To-Day (Calf)
