Sengun and Sheppard Upgraded as Houston Hosts a Thinned-Out…

By the Rockets Nightly Desk · Saturday, October 31

Alperen Sengun and Reed Sheppard were both upgraded from out with back issues, and each is projected to return tonight. Houston is 5-1, the No. 2 seed, and hosts a 4-1 Oklahoma City team that is also coming off a loss.

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Oct. 26-28

Houston kept its unbeaten run going with a 120-110 win over Atlanta, where Sengun scored 29. Next came a 132-100 rout in Milwaukee. At 5-0, the Rockets went from sixth to first in the power rankings within a week. Sengun's back kept moving him on and off the injury report all week, and Sheppard was added on Oct. 29 with a back problem of his own.

Oct. 30, at Dallas

Houston led by as many as 11 in the Cup opener and lost it at the line. Down 113-111 with three seconds left, Amen Thompson made one free throw and missed the second on a lane violation. A Marcus Smart away-from-play foul then gave Cooper Flagg a free throw, and Kyrie Irving closed it at 116-111. Irving scored 35 on 12-of-19 shooting and Flagg had 33 on 13-of-19. Kevin Durant led Houston with 28.

Oct. 31, injury report

Sengun and Sheppard were both upgraded overnight, and both are projected to play tonight. Sengun's last game was the 29-point night against Atlanta. Steven Adams is still out with a right calf issue and is projected back Nov. 2. Houston also exercised Sheppard's fourth-year option. RealGM put it at $14 million for 2027-28, and the payroll is already $205.5 million, $5.1 million over the tax line.

Tonight vs. Thunder

Oklahoma City has six players out, including Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. Houston beat the Thunder 116-89 on Oct. 15. The number to watch: Durant and Fred VanVleet shot 4 of 16 from three in Dallas, and they were the only starters with a positive plus-minus. Thompson finished minus-10 in 40 minutes. The open question is whether Sengun's return lets Ime Udoka cut that workload.

Next Tonight's game is on NBA TV. Houston then hosts Boston on Nov. 2, the date Adams is projected to return, and Minnesota on Nov. 4.

Is Alperen Sengun playing tonight against the Thunder?

He was upgraded from out with a back issue and is projected to return tonight. His final status has not been set.

Did the Rockets pick up Reed Sheppard's fourth-year option?

Yes. Houston exercised it on Oct. 30, and RealGM reported it at $14 million for 2027-28.

By the Rockets Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.