Sunday’s summer-league matchup in Las Vegas was supposed to be a battle of the Thompson twins, with Houston’s top rookie, Amen Thompson, facing Detroit’s Ausar Thompson in a matchup of two of the 2023 NBA draft’s top-five rookies from the first round.
That meeting, however, will likely need to wait until the 2023-24 regular season after Amen Thompson sprained his left ankle late in Friday’s thrilling Rockets victory over Portland.
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Nonetheless, the Rockets do appear likely to still have Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and rookie forward Cam Whitmore leading the charge. Smith scored a game-high 33 points along with the game-winning buzzer-beater on Friday night, and the No. 3 overall pick from the 2022 draft would love to build on that with another strong showing.
“I’m 20 years old,” the second-year forward told reporters postgame regarding his decision to play in summer league.
“Why wouldn’t I play? We were 22-60 last year. My rookie year wasn’t perfect, so why not get out here and get reps? Play with my new teammates, play with my new coaches.”
Jabari Smith Jr. on why he’s playing in Summer League:
“I’m 20 years old. Why wouldn’t I play? We were 22-60 last year. My rookie year wasn’t perfect, so why not get out here and get reps, play with my new teammates and coaches.”
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— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 8, 2023
- Date: Sunday, July 7
- Time: 6 p.m. CDT
- TV Channel: ESPN2
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free) or via Watch ESPN, with active subscription
These are primarily based on this weekend’s opening game for both teams, while also accounting for known injuries.
Houston Rockets (1-0)
- Guard: Trevor Hudgins
- Guard: Cam Whitmore
- Forward: Tari Eason
- Forward: Jabari Smith Jr.
- Center: Jay Huff
Detroit Pistons (1-0)
- Guard: Jaden Ivey
- Guard: Marcus Sasser
- Forward: Ausar Thompson
- Forward: James Wiseman
- Center: Jalen Duren
The Rockets were without Jalen Lecque (knee soreness) and Darius Days (non-COVID illness) on Friday, while Amen Thompson left the game early due to a sprained left ankle. He is unlikely to play for the remainder of summer league, according to media reports.
Headlined by top rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, the #Rockets released their complete roster for the NBA’s 2023 summer league in Las Vegas. Their first game is Friday, July 7. https://t.co/1aKzRpyHHK
— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) July 4, 2023
Assuming health, Amen Thompson and the summer-league #Rockets will open play in July with a nationally televised matchup versus Scoot Henderson’s Trail Blazers. https://t.co/0TnQp5AmAF
— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) June 23, 2023
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